Baguio artist sets Guinness record with giant mandala
BAGUIO CITY — A giant crocheted mandala measuring 6 meters (19 feet) in diameter has earned Baguio artist Adelaida Guia a Guinness World Records title for the largest mandala crocheted by a single person.
Guia received an email on Thursday, Sept. 17, informing her that she had officially set the record with her 29-square-meter creation.
“My five children Ezekiel, Jeniel, Danielli, Azriel and Giddiel are super happy for me,” Guia told the Inquirer on Friday.
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READ: In Baguio, mandala artist knits for world record
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No Guinness World Records ceremony has been scheduled yet, but Guia hopes the recognition will shine a spotlight on indigenous weavers and other underrated artisans like herself and open opportunities for gallery exhibitions typically given to established artists such as National Artist Benedicto Cabrera, known as BenCab, and National Artist Kidlat Tahimik.
A former call center employee in Manila, Guia moved to Baguio with her husband, Philip, and their children in 2016 to start a new life.
Inspiration
She first drew attention in 2022 when she began displaying her large crocheted mandalas along Session Road, where she caught the eye of former Inquirer Baguio photographer EV Espiritu.
Session Road, the city’s main thoroughfare, used to be closed to traffic on Sundays to give artisans and other vendors a venue to display and sell their work, particularly as businesses struggled to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
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The word “mandala” comes from Sanskrit and generally refers to a circle, with religious and spiritual associations in Eastern traditions. Guia, however, said her work was inspired by American crochet artist and YouTube influencer Helen Shrimpton, whose tutorials helped her improve her crochet techniques.
READ: Baguio’s 29-meter mandala awaits Guinness nod
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Guia attracted more admirers last year when she worked in public at the Rose Garden in Burnham Park, where residents and tourists watched her crochet what would eventually become her record-setting piece, “Wishing Star.”
At the time, she aimed to create a mandala measuring 223 inches in diameter.
But when third-party validators officially measured the piece on Jan. 22 as part of the documentation for her Guinness World Records bid, it exceeded her target, covering a total area of 29 square meters.
The massive mandala is large enough to accommodate 18 people lying down.
Guia said the road to the record began in July 2024 and was interrupted when she suffered a mild stroke in August. She resumed work by May last year, when the Inquirer again encountered her crocheting at the park.
It took her 69 days to complete “Wishing Star,” she said.
Guia is an active member of the Baguio Creative Council, which was formed after Baguio was designated in 2017 as the Philippines’ first Creative City by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), in recognition of its rich crafts and folk art.
Guia and Philip also established a startup artisan craft store, Abiakak, and are being mentored by the Social Innovation Laboratory and Business Inclusion (Silbi) of the University of the Philippines Baguio.
In a statement, Silbi said Guia’s achievement was the result of years of “creativity, patience, craftsmanship, and perseverance.”
“It is not only a personal triumph for Adelaida, but also a celebration shared with her family and Abiakak, whose collective effort, encouragement, and dedication have been integral to bringing this record-breaking work to life,” it said.
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Guia said Abiakak is “Kakaiba,” meaning unusual or uncommon, spelled backward. /das
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