Oval Art Gallery

11/05/2026

Kadunaan: Lutak begins today with Dayang Diores of Balay Hilway 🛘👐🏽

Salamat to our first wave of art collectors who supported Pangamót for making this immersive gathering on soil, community, self-reliance and sustainability possible.

Kadunaan: Lutak begins today with Dayang Diores of Balay Hilway (Antique).

Salamat to our first wave of art collectors who supported Pangamót for making this immersive gathering on soil, community, self-reliance and sustainability possible.

Kag salamat guid sa tanan nga artists nga nangin kabahin 🍃

Kikik Kollektive x Ogtonganon Visual Artists League

06/05/2026

Bulahan guid nga mga Bugal sang Ogtonganon, Sir Boy Masculino and Sir Ric Isiderio!❤️👏
Your Oval Family is so truly proud of you both. 🫶

01/05/2026

2 na lang ka adlaw! Magkari kag magsinadya kita sa KATAGMAN FESTIVAL! Aton handurawon ang bulawanon nga istorya sang banwa sang OTON🫶

Almost there! 🔥

Only 2 days to go before the Katagman Tribes Competition: Music, Dance, and Theater takes the spotlight.

23/04/2026

Katagman Festival!❤️

𝐊𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐎𝐓𝐎𝐍

Oton, located in Irong-Irong (present-day Iloilo), was once a thriving ancient Malay port and an important trade hub that engaged with Chinese merchants. It is also associated with the Madja-as Confederation under Datu Paiburong until around 1226 A.D. Evidence of its early civilization was strengthened by the discovery of a gold death mask in Barangay San Antonio in 1967.

Christianity arrived in Oton in 1556 through Fray Martín de Rada along the Batiano River. The name “Oton” is believed to come from Ogtong Adlaw, meaning “noon.” By 1569, the settlement was fortified to protect Miguel López de Legazpi’s fleet. In 1570, Fray de Rada is said to have established one of the earliest churches in the country, dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.

Declared a pueblo in 1572, Oton later became a significant colonial center and was recognized as part of the early provincial structure in Panay.

During World War II, in 1945, residents of Oton welcomed American forces advancing toward Iloilo City after their landing in Tigbauan on March 18. This event is commemorated as part of the Liberation of Panay, Guimaras, and Romblon.

A major archaeological discovery in Oton was the Oton Gold Death Mask, unearthed on June 5, 1967, in Barangay San Antonio by anthropologists Alfredo Evangelista and Felipe Landa Jocano. The artifact consists of thin gold sheets crafted for the eyes and nose, decorated with repoussé designs. It is dated to the late 14th to early 15th century, indicating that Oton was already a prosperous trade settlement during the precolonial period. The burial site also yielded imported ceramics and fine gold ornaments, highlighting its participation in international trade and advanced craftsmanship.

The Oton Gold Death Mask is recognized as a National Cultural Treasure and is housed at the National Museum – Western Visayas in Iloilo City.

This year’s celebration marks the 454th Foundation Day of Oton, counting from its establishment as a pueblo in 1572 during the Spanish colonial period. It highlights the town’s long historical continuity from its early coastal settlement to its present development.

By celebrating Katagman Festival alongside the foundation anniversary, the people of Oton honor both their historical origins and their continuing community identity.

18/04/2026

16/04/2026

Kanami handurawon.. subong dalagku na sila.

31/03/2026

Project Update: Info-Lab Philippines 🇵🇭
We’re excited to share progress on the Info-Lab Project—a visionary, multi-use, three-storey space dedicated to education, art, culture, and community learning, made possible through the collaboration of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), ISAT U, and UAP Philippines.

We recently welcomed Professor Francesco Rossini for a site visit, marking another meaningful milestone in this journey. The project is now 30% complete, steadily taking shape as a hub for creativity, knowledge-sharing, and community empowerment.
While this initiative is supported by a grant from CUHK, the rising cost of materials continues to challenge our progress. In this light, we humbly open our doors to donors, collaborators and sponsors who believe in building spaces that uplift communities and sustain future generations.

This is more than a structure—it is a shared vision.🎨🌾🌳

Para sa tali-ambong.
Para sa komunidad.
Para sa kultura, edukasyon, kag kapwa.
Para sa simpatiya.
Kag para sa tanan.
Let’s build this together.

31/03/2026

27/03/2026

𝗗𝘂𝗻â 𝘀𝗮 𝗗𝘂𝘁𝗮: 𝗔𝗿𝘁, 𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱

What are we without the land? Who are we without our motherland?

For the communities of Pulo Maestra Vita and Abilay Sur in Oton, Iloilo, these are not merely philosophical questions — they are lived realities. Inch by inch, the steady advance of real estate and commercial development has pushed them to the margins of lands their families have called home for generations, turning identity, belonging, and survival into everyday struggles.

This issue has brought artists together for PANGAMOT, a fundraising exhibition showcasing works that highlight the plight of land-dispossessed communities and express resistance against aggressive development forces, including those associated with the powerful Villar family.

Organized by Kikik Kollektive in partnership with the Ogtonganon Visual Artist League, PANGAMOT at Balay Sueño in Jaro brought together 45 artists, many of whom are also cultural workers, heritage preservation advocates, academics, environmentalists, and activists, alongside art collectives and youth groups. They are united in supporting KADUNAAN, a folk art gathering slated for May.

Read the full story in our comments.

27/03/2026

"This issue has brought artists together for PANGAMOT, a fundraising exhibition showcasing works that highlight the plight of land-dispossessed communities and express resistance against aggressive development forces, including those associated with the powerful Villar family.

Organized by Kikik Kollektive in partnership with the Ogtonganon Visual Artist League, PANGAMOT at Balay Sueño in Jaro brought together 45 artists, many of whom are also cultural workers, heritage preservation advocates, academics, environmentalists, and activists, alongside art collectives and youth groups. They are united in supporting KADUNAAN, a folk art gathering slated for May." - Ted Aldwin Ong for the Daily Guardian

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE:

https://dailyguardian.com.ph/duna-sa-duta-art-uprooted-lives-and-the-struggle-for-land/