Davao City Jail Inmates Discover New Artistic Medium Through Clay Workshop
In a transformative artistic experience, persons deprived of liberty at the Davao City Jail Female Dormitory have expanded their creative horizons beyond traditional canvas painting. What began as a painting workshop evolved into an immersive introduction to clay sculpting, offering participants a completely new dimension of visual arts expression.
From Canvas to Clay: A New Artistic Journey
On November 1, 2025, Lawig-Diwa Inc., the organizer of Mindanao's largest art fair known as The Mindanao Art, brought a unique opportunity to the correctional facility. Rey Mudjahid "Kublai" Ponce Millan, president of Lawig-Diwa, arrived with sacks of terra cotta clay—heavy, moist soil that would become the medium for the day's creative exploration.
Seventy-one female inmates who had signed up for the training program received hands-on instruction in working with this ancient artistic material. To ease participants into this first-time experience, the workshop began with a simple yet meaningful exercise: creating clay pots shaped like the faces of their workshop partners.
The Creative Process Unfolds
Initially following the assignment to sculpt their partner's facial features, the women gradually began exercising their creative freedom. Some participants started modifying their designs according to personal inspiration, with one inmate even attempting to recreate her partner's actual appearance. The artistic results varied, with some sculptures bearing recognizable likenesses while others took more abstract forms.
Assisting Kublai in facilitating this artistic breakthrough were Tagum City artists Elvis Goloran and Jushua Rotante, along with journalist Stella Estremera who documented the workshop. Their combined expertise helped guide the inmates through the technical aspects of clay manipulation while encouraging creative expression.
Awaiting the Final Results
The completed terra cotta creations are currently undergoing a natural drying process before proceeding to the crucial kiln-drying phase. This next step will determine the ultimate success of their artistic efforts, as the intense heat treatment presents both challenges and transformations.
Several questions remain about the final outcomes: Will the sculptures maintain their carefully crafted forms through the firing process? Could unexpected cracks appear during the thermal treatment? Will delicate features like sculpted noses withstand the intense heat without chipping or breaking? These uncertainties represent valuable learning experiences that will deepen participants' understanding of ceramic arts.
Previous Artistic Engagement
This clay workshop followed an earlier painting session conducted on October 30, 2025, where Kublai, Elvis, and Jushua guided twenty inmates through canvas painting techniques. Both workshops form part of Lawig-Diwa's ongoing commitment to providing artistic programming at the Davao City Jail, demonstrating the organization's dedication to rehabilitation through creative expression.
Correctional officers JO1 Katherine Balderas, JO1 Eden Mae Alboruto, JSINSP Leilah R. Academia, and JO1 Venice Carbanquil supervised the activities, ensuring a secure environment conducive to artistic exploration.
Beyond Traditional Art Forms
All participants reported finding the terra cotta sculpting experience exhilarating and liberating. The tactile nature of working with clay provided a different sensory experience compared to painting, engaging both hands and imagination in new ways. This workshop successfully demonstrated that visual arts encompass far more than just paints and brushes, opening new avenues for creative self-expression among the incarcerated women.
The program highlights how artistic rehabilitation can expand beyond conventional mediums, offering diverse opportunities for personal growth and skill development within correctional settings.
