Communities come together to craft an impact in Borneo

'Serumpun: Crafts Across Borders' will take place in Kuching, Sarawak, till the end of the month. The collective exhibition features stories that have been pieced together from 11 communities across borders, to show the public how crafts are used as an instrument to maintain identity, drive activism and gain unity. Photo: Handout

Before colonial governments like the Dutch or British came to our countries, we used to be serumpun, according to one Ketua Kampung from Jagoi Babang, Bengkayang in West Kalimantan.

The choice to use the word “serumpun” to define an upcoming Sarawak exhibition, Serumpun: Crafts Across Borders, can be traced to the statement above. Even today, despite their respective multi-cultural features, Malaysia and Indonesia are sometimes considered “serumpun” or of the same root, and so it seemed an apt name for the exhibition highlighting 11 creative practices which share common connections throughout Borneo.