Based in Kota Kinabalu in the Malaysian Borneo state of Sabah, Yee I-Lann has engaged with the complex geopolitical histories of Southeast Asia for over two decades. In a practice spanning photo collage, collaborative weaving, film and the use of everyday objects, she draws on the region’s turbulent colonial past and the resulting sociopolitical legacies.

Yee I-Lann began collaborating with weavers from the sea-based communities Bajau Sama DiLaut, on the Sulu Celebes Sea of Semporna, and Dusun Murut weavers from the inland district of Keningau. Each creates their own style of tikars, a traditional woven mat made from bamboo pus or pandanus, which are cherished as domestic and ceremonial objects across Southeast Asia.

The mat’s recurring motifs, which are passed orally from one generation of weavers to the next, often feature maritime patterns or abstract landscapes that reflect the community’s heritage. What makes Yee I-Lann’s weaving project unique is the marked mix of traditional and contemporary designs it incorporates. Flattened renders of office tables and desks—objects that are antithetical to the democratizing objective of communal mats and rugs—are a recurring motif that references Malaysia’s colonial history and the barbaric administration of Portuguese, Dutch and British occupiers.

The culture of craftwork is rooted in a deeply feminist approach to a circular economy and regenerative principles. Yee I-Lann’s project reflects this by turning the mats into sellable works of contemporary art that fund local initiatives. Ultimately, Yee I-Lann is a chronicler of culture and builds cultural bridges by finding and exposing our shared humanity through art.

Yee I-Lann is represented by Silverlens (Manila, Philippines) and Tyler Rollins Fine Art (New York City)