Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan have created a powerful sculpture titled Epitaph (“Speak in Tongues”), which honours the Filipino tradition of Pandayan, an ancient blade-making art passed down through generations. This craft, though challenged by globalisation, has found renewed life through platforms like YouTube. In Magdalena, Philippines, a blacksmith named NC continues this legacy with passion, teaching his children the craft.

Epitaph (“Speak in Tongues”) pays tribute to cultural heritage, evoking remembrance and respect for the past. This suggests a memorial for fading or changing aspects, reflecting the delicate balance between preservation and transformation. The sculpture's form, resembling a tongue, highlights the importance of communication and the expression of identity. This shape also resembles a blossom, symbolising appreciation for cultural roots, and a mask, representing the adaptive transformations of identity in response to new cultural landscapes.

The title, en parenthèses—“Speaking in Tongues”—adds another layer of meaning to the piece. This biblical reference, often associated with the divine ability to speak multiple languages or ecstatic speech, aligns with the exploration of globalisation’s impact on cultural identity, speaking to the diverse ways cultures communicate and adapt in a globally connected world. It encourages viewers to reflect on the dual nature of globalisation, which divides and unites communities, urging us to consider how art can revive and strengthen communal bonds.

Through this work, the Aquilizans emphasise the importance of embracing and celebrating our shared cultural heritage, fostering a profound sense of belonging and identity.