Abdulmari Imao

Abdulmari Imao was a Filipino sculptor, painter, and ceramicist whose work brought Southern Philippine visual traditions into contemporary art. He adapted Maranao and Tausug motifs—including the sarimanok, okir, and naga—across sculpture and painting, while also promoting indigenous brass-casting techniques. The first National Artist from Mindanao, he received the National Artist for Visual Arts distinction in 2006.