Yee I-Lann, Sulu Stories: The Ch’i-lin of Calauit, 2005 Archival pigment inkjet on Epson Premium Photo Luster 60.9 x 60.9 cm Credits: Collection of Singapore Art Museum
MANSAU-ANSAU is the first major European exhibition of Malaysian artist Yee I-Lann (b. 1971, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo). Her multidisciplinary work explores traditional crafts through a contemporary lens, addressing colonial legacies and the resilience of Indigenous communities. The exhibition's title, written in the Kadazan-Dusun language of Sabah, means “to walk and walk” – to journey without a predetermined destination. It describes a kind of roaming that invites discovery, even disorientation.
Yee I-Lann engages deeply with Southeast Asia's geopolitical history and collaborates with women weavers from her homeland, using art and craft to spotlight social oppression. The exhibition features textiles, photo collages, video, and sculpture, exploring themes like collective reorganisation, imagination, and future-building.
Selected works from the Singapore Art Museum include early series such as Sulu Stories (2005) and Picturing Power (2013), as well as woven pieces in batik and split bamboo from the artist’s collection.
