~ Background ~
Lope Bosaing, a full-blooded Igorot, is a farmer, innkeeper, and a self-described craftsman, but those who have experienced his stoneware call it fine art. His works are now considered collectors' items, following greater exposure to a wider audience since the ‘90s.
Bosaing is a champion of the preservation of traditional designs and techniques in Kalinga stoneware pottery. Among his favorite projects is the creation of the gusi, the ceremonial jar for rice wine (locally called tapey). Gusi is among the most valuable possessions of the Sagada community, whose cultural significance derives from deep spiritual roots. “A ritual surrounds the opening of every gusi of tapey and before the first cup is shared among the elders,” says Bosaing, whose clay pieces, on the other hand, represent traditional wood and bone carvings in Sagada.
Bosaing is a tireless champion of the stoneware industry in Sagada and of the culture that nourishes the craft. As Bosaing puts it, “It is through observation and constant practice that we were able to improve our skills in pottery.”