Tikar/Meja #14, Bajau Sama Di Laut

Yee Ilann’s Tikar/Meja 14 is part of a mat series developed by Yee I-Lann and indigenous weavers from the Bajau Sama Di Laut communities in Sabah, Malaysia. On the mat, an image of a table is woven together with traditional motifs that have been passed down from generation to generation. For the artist, the table is a legacy of colonialism, an object associated with control, bureaucracy, status, and hierarchy. Conversely, the woven mat, from pre-colonial times, has always been an object for socialisation, community, and relaxation across much of Southeast Asia. When spread on the floor, it brings people together; when hung on a wall, it becomes a repository of memory, tradition, history, culture.

Expanding from her critical engagement with post-colonial legacies in Southeast Asia, Yee’s Tikar/Meja series adds a social dimension to her artistic practice. This  artistic collaboration has helped create awareness for the importance of preserving the indigenous cultures and traditions in Sabah and creating more economic opportunities for these communities while generating important new conversations about contemporary art forms across the Southeast Asian region.