This project Serumpun was intellectually and intuitively driven initiated as a collective endeavour to address the priorities of craft practitioners and communities across Borneo. The long-term collaboration between Wendy Teo, The Borneo Laboratory and Lynn-Sayers McHattie, The Glasgow School of Art laid the foundations for the Cultural-Assets & Vernacular Materials project with Gamia Dewanggamanik and Dr Marianne McAra. Together we, as design and craft practitioners and researchers questioned how we could ‘make visible’, celebrate traditional wisdom and enhance the work of craft practitioners and communities in Borneo to usher in positive change through the lens of sustainability. As the project progressed, the intricate web of geopolitical dynamics, local histories and politics that surround raw material resources and craft more broadly began to unveil the realities faced by practitioners.
To provide a more comprehensive picture of this ecosystem, we recognised that the 11 projects and practitioners within the Cultural-Assets & Vernacular Materials programme played distinct roles within the craft and material landscape, each necessitating tailored facilitation and bespoke approaches. Some entered as designers - a relatively recent introduction aimed at further capitalising and commodifying - the traditional craft market. Accordingly, they faced a complex dilemma negotiating with the community as the quality of production now hinges on market demands. Their presence has the potential to elevate the market value of crafts, however it also runs the risk of diverting these creations from their original purpose as cherished heirloom objects. Others assumed the role of community activists and facilitators, working closely with communities to impart skills and knowledge that are both relevant and compensatory for what may be lacking within the community and crucially to ensure cultural continuity. These facilitators, often possessing backgrounds in cultural practices, oversee multiple community projects through their presence as cultural custodians. Then, there are those who engage as craft practitioners themselves - their roles as skilled artisans have long competed with more financially rewarding opportunities – such as those offered by the extraction economies across the region, a legacy from the colonial era.
In the process of undertaking the Cultural-Assets & Vernacular Materials programme, curating the Serumpun Exhibition and Showcase at the Borneo Cultures Museum - the first of its kind to position craft as a ‘living and embodied’ practice - and compiling this book, we’ve come to understand that the story of Borneo’s craft artisans can only be authentically conveyed by delving into the nuances that surround relationships with crafts, materials, places, locales and politics. Hence, the framework of this book has been constructed to both mediate and meditate on these intricate relationships. Through these pages, we hope to shed light on the rich tapestry of Borneo’s crafts and the profound connections they share with the people, place, and craft practices that shape this extraordinary cultural landscape.