To say that revising the legacy of post-colonialism in Southeast Asia is herculean would be the understatement of the century. From infrastructures and cultures to national identities, colonialism is a global issue with centuries of complexities.
“Growing up in Sarawak, our history textbooks only had one chapter that covered both Sabah and Sarawak. I thought it was weird at the time,” says award-winning textile artist Marcos Kueh, whose exhibition, titled (“Kenyalang” meaning “hornbill” in Malay), was held earlier this year in January at The Back Room Gallery. “It made me wonder about what it means to be Sarawakian, and how post-colonial narratives have shaped Southeast Asia’s identities.
