From July to October 2025, ANTHILL Fabric Gallery in Cebu City is running a textile art exhibition that does more than display woven pieces — it asks visitors to reconsider what indigenous weaving is and what it can become. Titled Habol, Hablon, Hinablon: Until Now, We Learn, the show reframes traditional craft as a living contemporary art practice, and it marks a deliberate shift in how Cebu’s design community presents itself to the world.
For anyone planning a trip to Cebu with an interest in local culture, the exhibition offers a rare window into a sector that often operates behind the scenes. The gallery itself — a social enterprise founded in 2010 by Annie and Anya Lim — has spent fifteen years building a bridge between grassroots craftsmanship and a design sensibility that speaks to international audiences. That positioning matters now more than ever, as global interest in Philippine textile arts grows within conversations about sustainability, cultural authorship, and post-colonial narratives.
The show is curated by New York-based Cebuana researcher and designer Kaye Yuvallos, who describes the exhibition as “a space where weaving becomes not just a method of making, but a way of sensing — of tracing where we’ve been and of hoping for where we might go.” That framing shifts the experience from a passive viewing of textiles to an active engagement with what weaving means for the people who practice it and for the culture it carries. If you are looking for a way into Cebu’s cultural scene beyond beaches and landmarks, this exhibition is a grounded starting point.
What the Exhibition Actually Shows
The exhibition title itself — Habol, Hablon, Hinablon — uses three terms from Philippine languages that all refer to the act of weaving, each carrying slightly different connotations of process, material, and tradition. For visitors unfamiliar with textile terminology, the title signals that this is not a single story but a layered one.
Two artists carry the exhibition’s weight. Jessica Durano, a Cebuana fashion designer, presents two installations. Luwas uses coarse abaca fibers to disrupt conventional ideas of comfort — a deliberate move away from the soft, familiar textures usually associated with textiles. Diwa, meanwhile, draws on local materials and dried flowers to articulate personal transitions, grounding abstract ideas of change in tangible, locally sourced elements. Master weaver John Rey Sanchez debuts Kahupayan (Comfort) and Pagsubang (The Sun Rises), his first public works after two decades working as a production weaver behind the scenes. “I’ve been behind the scenes for 20 years,” Sanchez said. “Now it’s my time. I’m stepping out of the cave.” That statement alone captures what the exhibition is trying to do — not just show finished pieces, but give visibility to the people and processes that have long been invisible.
Why This Matters for Cebu’s Cultural Landscape
Cebu’s design sector has historically been overshadowed by Manila’s fashion and art scenes. But the research makes clear that a shift is underway. The province is carving a niche that blends grassroots craftsmanship with internationally attuned sensibilities, and ANTHILL Fabric Gallery sits at the center of that movement. The exhibition is described as a long-term strategic move to institutionalize weaving as both a cultural practice and a contemporary art form — not a one-off celebration of the gallery’s fifteenth year, but a deliberate effort to change how weaving is perceived and valued.
That distinction matters for visitors. Many cultural tourism experiences in the Philippines present indigenous crafts as static heritage — something to be preserved exactly as it was. This exhibition pushes in the opposite direction: weaving as a living, evolving practice that can absorb contemporary artistic methods and speak to global conversations. Durano’s use of abaca and dried flowers, Sanchez’s transition from production weaver to exhibiting artist, and Yuvallos’s curatorial framing all point to a sector that is actively redefining itself.
The growing global interest in Philippine textile arts within sustainability and post-colonial narratives gives this exhibition a wider resonance. Visitors are not just watching local artists work — they are witnessing a cultural repositioning that has implications for how Filipino craftsmanship is valued internationally. That said, the evidence from the source stops short of claiming measurable economic impact or visitor numbers. What is clear is that ANTHILL is betting on the long game: changing the framework rather than chasing a trend.
The Human Story Behind the Threads
The most striking detail in the source material is John Rey Sanchez’s trajectory. Twenty years as a production weaver means he has spent two decades making textiles for other designers, brands, and products — his skill embedded in objects that carried someone else’s name. His public debut at this exhibition is not just a career milestone; it reflects a structural reality of the weaving industry in the Philippines, where the people who produce the work rarely receive credit as creators.
Sanchez’s quote — “I’ve been behind the scenes for 20 years. Now it’s my time. I’m stepping out of the cave” — is the kind of statement that reframes the entire exhibition. It tells visitors that what they are seeing is not just art but an assertion of authorship by someone who was systematically kept invisible. That context adds weight to his pieces Kahupayan and Pagsubang, which translate to “Comfort” and “The Sun Rises” — titles that take on additional meaning when read against his personal story.
For visitors, this human dimension is where the exhibition becomes more than a cultural stop on a Cebu itinerary. It turns a gallery visit into an encounter with the real economics and recognition gaps of the craft sector. The exhibition does not explicitly state solutions to those gaps, but by giving Sanchez a platform, it models one way forward: treat weavers as artists, not just laborers.
What to Do With This Information
Plan Your Visit Before October 3, 2025
The exhibition runs through October 3, 2025, at ANTHILL Fabric Gallery’s headquarters on Pedro Calomarde Street corner Acacia Street, Gorordo Avenue, Cebu City. That gives visitors a three-month window. The gallery is a social enterprise and creative lifestyle store, so in addition to the exhibition, you can browse and purchase locally made textiles and products. The live weaving performances — where Durano and Sanchez create Unta and Yano on-site — happen in front of guests, so timing your visit during a scheduled performance adds a layer of experience.
Engage With the Work, Not Just the Products
The curatorial framing by Kaye Yuvallos asks visitors to treat weaving as “a way of sensing” rather than a decorative object. That means slowing down. Durano’s Luwas intentionally uses coarse abaca to challenge comfort — it is meant to be felt as much as seen. Sanchez’s work carries two decades of accumulated skill and personal meaning. Approaching the exhibition with that mindset changes what you take away from it.
Use This as a Gateway to Cebu’s Design Sector
The source notes that Cebu’s design community is building a reputation that blends grassroots craftsmanship with globally informed aesthetics. ANTHILL is the most visible example, but the exhibition signals a broader ecosystem. If the show sparks your interest, consider exploring other locally rooted design initiatives in the city. The gallery itself, founded in 2010 by Annie and Anya Lim, has been cultivating this network for fifteen years — it is a good starting point for understanding how Cebu’s creative economy operates beyond tourism staples.
Support the Shift From Craft to Art
By visiting, purchasing, and sharing what you see, you contribute to the institutionalization of weaving as a recognized contemporary art form. The exhibition is explicitly described as a strategic move toward that goal. Visitor attention and recognition are part of what makes the strategy work.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Weaving as a Way Forward
The exhibition does not claim to solve the structural challenges facing Philippine weavers. What it does is model a different way of seeing their work — as contemporary art, as personal expression, as cultural authorship worth naming and crediting. For anyone exploring Cebu beyond its well-known attractions, ANTHILL Fabric Gallery offers a chance to engage with that shift directly. The pieces are on display, the weavers are present, and the conversation is still unfolding. What you take from it depends on how closely you are willing to look.
If this was useful, you might also want to read Discover Parola Island’s Beauty Near Cebu City.
Sources
Cebu for First-Timers: Your Essential Guide to Planning the Perfect Trip — Practical tips for building a Cebu itinerary that includes cultural stops alongside the usual sights.
Cebu’s Modern Architecture Beyond the Historic Landmarks — A closer look at how Cebu’s design identity is evolving beyond its colonial-era buildings.
Fabric Gallery Showcases Indigenous Weaving Art. Philstar, 2025.
