Entwine: Maybank Women Eco-weavers Meets Southeast Asian Artists, which runs from 21 August to 8 September, at The Concourse at the National Museum of Singapore, features artworks inspired by the region’s textile weaving heritage.
Textile weaving is a traditional practice that women in parts of Southeast Asia rely on as a livelihood. By supporting this in a sustainable manner and ensuring economic independence for weavers in rural areas of Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos and Cambodia, the Maybank Women Eco-weavers programme seeks to bring about women empowerment and gender equality, hence bringing about inclusivity throughout ASEAN.
“Since 2016, the programme has partnered social enterprises and NGOs to create an ecosystem for sustained development of weaving crafts and environmentally friendly production practices,” says Shahril Azuar Jimin, CEO of Maybank Foundation, who also describes the exhibition as a “celebration of ASEAN’s arts and culture”.
To put together Entwine: Maybank Women Eco-weavers Meets Southeast Asian Artists, six contemporary artists visited weavers in their natural environment and drew on the experience to create works for the exhibition.
Among the artists are Sheryo (Singapore), Sharon Chin (Malaysia), Lugas Syllabus (Indonesia), Lyle Buencamino (the Philippines), Shahrul Jamili (Malaysia), and Ubatsat Sutta (Thailand). The exhibition is curated by Khairuddin Hori, partner at Singapore’s Chan + Hori Contemporary.
Opens 10am to 7pm, Monday to Sunday, with extended hours during Singapore Night Festival from 23 to 31 August.