CREDITS:
Illustration of Marcos Kueh by Maria Chen
All Artwork © Marcos Kueh
In this conversation with CNTRFLD.ART, we delve into the artistic journey of Marcos Kueh, a textile artist renowned for his intricate fabric manipulations that explore the interplay of culture, identity, and sustainability, drawing inspiration from his heritage and contemporary environmental issues. Born into a multicultural family in Malaysia, Marcos integrates elements from his Chinese and Malay roots into his work, creating pieces that reflect the rich tapestry of his upbringing. His practice not only showcases traditional textile techniques but also addresses the urgent need for sustainable practices in the art world, making his work both a celebration of heritage and a commentary on modern challenges.
CNTRFLD. Your upbringing in Sarawak, Malaysia, seems to play a significant role in your work. How has your childhood and the multicultural environment in Borneo shaped your artistic perspective?
MK. The truth is that I grew up in a Malaysian Chinese community where I was sent to Chinese vernacular schools and mostly interacted with Chinese peers in my childhood. So, when I was told that a big part of the Malaysian national identity is that it is multicultural, I used to always feel a bit of a dissonance between reality and what I need to write down for my civics exams. We were never really thought about the language to speak about conflicting feelings like these growing up but I definitely felt misunderstood and questioned the relevance of my lived experience and how I fit into the concept of my country.
I think most of my artistic research still revolve around this line of thought of trying to figure out projected realities and lived lives. I am trying to recognize myself from the eyes of how others see my identity coming from Borneo, where I place my own truths and how I communicate them to find understanding.
CNTRFLD. You started your career in graphic design and advertising before shifting to textiles. Can you share what drew you to textiles, and how you chose this medium as your primary form of artistic expression?
MK. I always had a deep fascination on what it means to do graphic design growing up in Borneo. Like most art academies in the world, I was educated in movements of the West such as the Bauhaus or Art Nouveau but always wondered why I am constantly being taught history that I had no direct context of but was seldom taught about the history of local movements or visual culture that is just right outside of the classroom. My curiosity led me to do a lot of studies and documentation of native expressions of visuals – basketry, bead work and of course textiles.
Textiles has always been a material of choice to express dreams, myths and stories before the arrival of paper, paint or the pen. I think there is something romantic about carrying on that practise of narrating through fibres, especially since a lot of my work explores on the topic of post-colonial thinking.
CNTRFLD. As someone deeply influenced by traditional Bornean weaving techniques, how do you integrate these traditions with modern, industrial textile processes in your work?
MK. The foundation of all my industrial techniques is based on the weaving sequences and calculation system of the songket weaving technique that is pretty common in the Southeast Asia region. I did my apprenticeship first in a weaving workshop back in hometown Sarawak before I had the opportunity to intern in a weaving factory in the Netherlands. Initially the experiment was about trying to program the sequences of indigenous weaving techniques on the industrial weaving loom to study if we could add more diversity in how we produce industrially woven textiles. It later developed into many variations and styles which can be seen in the details of my works.
I think in the technical world of weaving, it is also possible to develop a signature weave. Experienced weavers can tell the difference between a fabric woven by a Taiwanese indigenous community and the ones from Borneo based on the structure of the weaves and the materiality of the work; when we look at Vincent van Gogh’s painting, we are able to roughly tell the style of the work based on the brush strokes.
CNTRFLD. What were some of the challenges you encountered while transitioning from graphic design to textile art, especially while studying and working abroad in the Netherlands?
MK. The hardest part about the transition is really getting over the stereotype of what it means to be a weaver. Before having to courage to pick up the loom at 23, I have always studied and observed weaving as an academic. It would have been crazy if I told my parents that I wanted to do weaving as a career as it is still tied to the myth of the underprivileged and uneducated from the villages.
I think there is a fundamental shift in mentality when you switch to thinking with your hands. I always imagine it as if I am connected to a mindset that goes back to the beginning of civilization when we first figured out that we could fabricate just by manipulation tensions with our hands and crossing fibres. There is something very sophisticated and emotional about that image in relation to the misunderstandings we have on this craft.
CNTRFLD. Living and working in Europe as a Malaysian artist, how do you navigate the differences in cultural and artistic environments between the Netherlands and your home in Sarawak?
MK. The first time I encountered the word “decolonization” was actually at the age of 24 in Mauritshuis, where they showing an exhibition critically reflecting on the building’s colonial past. I was there on an assignment and when I had to report about the exhibition to my lecturers, I was so overwhelmed that I was crying the whole presentation. I think the liberation from knowing that there is a name to the internal oppression all of us have to carry from a developing country is a gift – many of us carry this burden to our graves without having the chance to forgive ourselves for thinking that we are only secondary to our past oppressors.
Sarawak will always be my motherland but I am also appreciative of the fact that there is enough curiosity from the community of The Netherlands to encourage me to participate in the dialogue that the country had the grace to open up. A lot of these topics would not be something that we are able to discuss institutionally as it might not be an emphasis of the culture of my hometown at the moment.
Artistically, I think there is a way of working where you code switch between cultures by understanding that different visual cues connotates to different things based on different cultural perspectives. I always use the posters of human zoos as example. The printed promotion of ethnological expositions in the 19th and 20th century will mean different things to the coloniser and the colonized in different eras of our history even though the object is the constant. Navigating between two cultures and how it interplays with contemporary times then becomes part of the art.
CNTRFLD. Your work explores diasporic identity and post-colonial narratives. How does being a diasporic Asian artist influence your storytelling through textiles?
MK. I think my perspective of the world and how I interact with discourses are very specific to my own lived history and experience - I will always only be able to talk about issues through the logic and the lens of a person who grew up in a developing country. I think at this moment the trajectory of my exploration of post colonialism is on imagining ideas of moving forward as a consequence of oppression, how do we find our own power, to centre our values and find courage to learn to speak from our truths. A European professor exploring on the same topic would probably have different approaches or come from a different perspective. I think that is what diversity and inclusion means, to invite and hold space for many complexities to exist. My job is to just work on showing up authentically as long as there is space for me and contribute to that cause.
CNTRFLD. In your series “Kenyalang Circus”, you reflect on Borneo's decolonisation and cultural identity. What motivated you to explore these themes, and what do you hope viewers take away from these works?
MK. Kenyalang Circus is a long-term research project which I have already been working on since 2016. The project manifested from dialogues with peers from the capital asking me if I actually lived in treehouses with monkeys growing up in Borneo. I just think it is hilarious that we all live in the same country and I know so much about the capital but in their eyes, we are so misunderstood. The dialogue expanded when I got to Europe, where for the first time I felt like there was also a form of gratification for being seen as exotic from the eyes of the west, as if there was something special about all this mysticism of where I come from.
I wanted to return the conversation with something truly South East Asian like how we portray ourselves to the world in our tourism ads - colourful, tropical, full of spirituality. If you look closer into the layers of the work, however, you realise that all I am trying to do is to sell you an irony. The idea of a mystical land where people are connected to their roots and wear traditional costumes is made up so that I can sell art in art fairs, the details of the work where the creatures are put in uniforms of western companies and hold brooms are not always noticeable because our mundane day to day problems are secondary to our special identity as an exotic human being.
I think about the stereotypical concept of the hospitable South East Asian often and try to incorporate that logic into my work. I like that people find my work approachable because of the vibrancy and beauty. Deeper discussions come when their attention is held. There is sophistication in our hospitality and how we host our audiences. I think that is what I am hoping for the audience to take away.
CNTRFLD. How do you view the role of textiles in contemporary art, particularly in relation to preserving cultural heritage and fostering dialogue around post-colonial issues?
MK. I think a big part of my motivation to do textiles is also to see if there is a chance that I could help figure out a solution to bring back the motivation for the upcoming generations to pick up weaving as a career. I believe in living by example and I think the practise of decolonization is also about figuring out the long-term sustainability of my own career so that there are living examples of how picking up the loom can also be a satisfying career option. I am grateful to be living in a time where there are so much more opportunities for people like me to weave specifically in the contemporary art space and be taken seriously. I want to make sure I take on that chance and keep pass the flame forward. There is nothing too deeply philosophical about this very blunt approach of mine, but I am sure when there are more weavers who are empowered to talk about change, they could also provide their perspectives on what independence and pride in heritage means.
CNTRFLD. With your work exhibited at major institutions like the Stedelijk Museum and Museum Voorlinden, what has been the most significant moment in your career so far?
MK. I think small moments like being able to finally pay for my own flight ticket home to Malaysia to visit my parents feels oddly significant for me. Many key moments happen in my private life because of my career, but I would rather my career be about my work than about me as a human being. I think it is good for mental health.
CNTRFLD. For young artists, especially those from Southeast Asia looking to carve out a space in the international art scene, what advice would you offer based on your experiences?
MK. I think it took me many years to have the courage to learn to speak. I think many South East Asians have that. I believe the only thing you can do sometimes is to trust in the goodness of the world and have the generosity to share what you have within you. Even if your current truth and understanding is unconventional or controversial, as long as it come from a place of genuineness and delivered with care, I believe the world is mercurial and forgiving, plus you learn and improve as a human being with dialogue as long as you stay open and curious yourself. When you participate, there will be a space.
About.
Marcos Kueh is a Malaysian textile artist and educator, known for his intricate textile works that reflect his cultural heritage and personal narrative. Drawing inspiration from traditional Malaysian textile techniques, Marcos fuses them with contemporary practices to create innovative and thought-provoking pieces. His work often explores themes of identity, memory, and the intersection of art and craft. Marcos has exhibited his work in various notable exhibitions, including his recent representation by Ron Mandos Gallery at AsiaNow Paris, showcasing his dynamic approach to textile art on an international stage. Through his artistry and teaching, he aims to inspire a deeper appreciation for the cultural significance of textiles within the contemporary art discourse.
