“Serumpun: Crafts Across Borders”: 3-Bark Table Lamp
- theraneeofsarawak
- Aug 10
- 1 min read

‘Serumpun: Crafts Across Borders’ exhibition is an out-reaching programme of the collaborative project Cultural Assets and Vernacular Materials (C&VM) fuelled by Borneo Laboratory and Glasgow School of Art Innovation School.
The project is a cross-regional, multidisciplinary event showcasing crafts, research presentations along the lines of film documentation, exhibition, and workshops.
The year-long research project enabled 11 creative practices related to crafts throughout Borneo to define, develop and refine the model of sustainability within the creative ecosystem that they have been in. The Ranee was one of the selected 11 creative practices, whose project focused on the study of bark cloth.

Historically, this pliable material, made from the inner fibers of the Tekalong tree, was vital to tribes like the Bidayuh and Kelabit for everything from garments to longhouse panels. However, with the advent of cotton, bark cloth making became a dying art, its intricate process fading with time.
The 3-Bark table lamp beautifully merges traditional bark cloth with contemporary design, featuring three woven shades. It casts a warm, intimate glow, with the open weave creating captivating patterns.
This revival is a true triumph, bringing together Rosemarie Wong (The Ranee), architects Ivy Jong and Johnson BL Tan (Bengkel TanJong), and the skilled weavers of Jawatankuasa Agrokraft Borneo (JKAB). They're exploring bark cloth as a new weaving medium, blending it with natural and modern materials.

More than just beautiful lamps, this project showcases bark cloth's immense potential as a contemporary craft, bringing hope and new opportunities to Sarawak's rural communities. This community betterment project was funded by the International Collaboration Grant by the British Council.
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