Aluaiy Kaumakan (Wu Yu-Ling)
Aluaiy Kaumakan (Wu Yu-Ling) was born in the Paridrayan tribe of Paiwan – a Taiwanese indigenous people in Sandimen Township, Pingtung County. As the daughter of the tribe’s leader, Kaumakan inherits the responsibility to protect the heritage of her people, who were forced to relocate due to Typhoon Morakot in 2009. Trained as a jewellery designer in her early career, she started to use Paiwan weaving and knitting techniques and her solid textile knowledge to create a unique language through large-scale art installations. She also works with other tribal women to pass on their maternal ancestors’ stories, traditions and wisdom through handicrafts.
Kaumakan’s artistic achievement, which stems from her unique life journey, has been gaining increasing recognition in recent years. She has exhibited in numerous important art shows, including the Taipei Biennial (2020), the Yokohama Triennale (2020), the Asia Pacific Triennial (2021) and the Sydney Biennial (2022).