Yee I-Lann
A native of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Yee I-Lann’s creative practice spans photo-media, video and textile, engaging with the complex legacies of colonial histories, global connections and socio-political dynamics of Southeast Asia. She earned her BA from the University of South Australia in 1992 and subsequently moved to Kuala Lumpur in 1994, where she became actively involved in the local art and film scenes. Since returning to her hometown in 2017, Yee has been collaborating with weavers from both coastal and inland Indigenous communities as well as urban youths to create art that reflects the worlds around them, local knowledges and shared concerns.
Yee has recently exhibited her work at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, California (2024); National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul (2024); SAVVY Contemporary, Berlin (2023) and Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2023). Her works are part of notable collections at institutions such as the Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA; Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; Singapore Art Museum; Tate Modern, London, UK; and the National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Roziah Binti Jalalid
Roziah Binti Jalalid, a Bajau Tempatan weaver from Semporna, Sabah, is renowned for her pandanus weaving and serves as the head of the Women’s Association of Omadal Island (WAPO). An alumna of the SUARA Community Filmmaking Programme, she has co-created award-winning documentaries with WAPO, including Anyaman Konservasi and Lepa Nipasil, which received the Best Documentary award at Sabah Screen Fest in 2019 and 2020 respectively. She has been working closely with Yee I-Lann since 2018 as a lead collaborator and coordinator, organising and participating in the weaving processes for various creative projects on Omadal Island.
Julitah Kulinting
Julitah Kulinting, a Dusun Minokok weaver from Kampung Batu Lunguyan, Sabah, recently retired as lead teacher in the bamboo weaving department at the Sabah Handicraft Centre in Keningau. With nearly 40 years of weaving experience, she has made significant contributions to handicraft education in Sabah. Fondly known as Mami Julitah, she has received numerous craft awards in Sabah and was recently honoured with the Adiguru Kraf 2023 (Master Craftsperson) award by the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation. Since 2018, she has been working closely with Yee I-Lann as a lead collaborator in various weaving projects. Alongside fellow bamboo pus weavers Lili Naming and Shahrizan Bin Juin, Kulinting was instrumental in developing an innovative weaving design style with Yee, which they collectively named Mansau-ansau, a Dusun phrase meaning ‘to journey without knowing where you are headed’.