FROM the refined pua kumbu, made by the Iban community, to the vibrantly coloured beadworks of the Orang Ulu, Sarawak’s traditional handicrafts are renowned for their fine craftsmanship, boasting intricate, indigenous designs and motifs that truly reflect the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the state’s multi-racial community.
KELABIT ARTISAN: Diana is an advocate of keeping the Sarawak traditional handicraft alive.
But in a world awash with mass-produced goods these days, handcrafted articles made with personal touches by our local artisans are slowly vanishing before our very eyes as the younger generation of today’s communities succumb to urbanisation and globalisation.
Craftswoman Diana Sarah Raja has been continuously striving to keep the local handicraft industry alive for the past two decades through her production of traditional Sarawakian handicrafts.
The 53-year-old Kelabit whose works of art comprise woven basketries and beadworks of the Orang Ulu community, told thesundaypost she realised there was a pressing need to revive the industry after noticing the decline in the number of craftsmen and women taking part in events such as crafts bazaars held here over the years.
“Back then, I remember there were quite a number of us doing our handiwork in public, so visitors could come, watch and learn about the process and traditions,” Diana recalled.
“However, as the years passed, the number grew smaller, and at the last crafts bazaar I participated in at the Old Court House (now the Sarawak Tourism Complex), there were only two of us left to demonstrate our works while the rest were sellers of the handicrafts.”
Keeping this tradition alive was no easy task as Diana believed the dwindling number of local artisans was due to today’s youths showing little interest in taking up a trade like this.
“But those interested in learning should come to us so that we can pass on our skills and knowledge,” she said, adding optimistically that mastering the skills of making the local handicrafts should come easy for those with the passion and interest.
Having learnt the art of weaving at the age of 23 through trial and error, the self-taught Diana’s first foray into the local handicraft industry came about when former Holiday Inn Kuching (now known as Grand Margherita Hotel) general manager Peter Mueller approached her to supply a variety of handicrafts for the hotel.
“I was asked if I could make hundreds of little decorative baskets such as the rinoh (bamboo winnowing basket) and the bu’an (harvesting basket) which could also be used to keep the hotel room toiletries,” she recalled.
“The rinoh is one of the primary harvesting tools used not only by the Kelabits but also the Ibans and Bidayuhs till this day. But our version is broader and shorter,” Diana said of the bamboo winnowing basket with bamboo strips for the base and rattan for the frame.
“Besides its aesthetic value, the rinoh today can be used stash items.”
Needless to say, her intricate hand-made pieces soon made their way to various hotels throughout Sarawak as she put her penchant for traditional handicrafts to good use, and began supplying them to clients not only in Malaysia but also countries such as Japan and Europe.
As her reputation spread, she found herself approached by various people to showcase her works.
“When the Sarawak Cultural Village first opened in 1990, I was appointed by Dato Sri Effendi Norwawi, then Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) chairman, to demonstrate my weaving and beadwork at the Orang Ulu Longhouse,” recalled Diana, who was also the official licensee for Sarawak handicrafts at the XVI Commonwealth Games Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
While she would continue to showcase her beautiful, immaculate handicrafts, she also hoped the government would take steps to generate interests in keeping Sarawak’s handicraft industry alive.
The first step, she suggested, would be to have an establishment such as an old building or warehouse where tourists and even locals could come and watch how traditional Sarawak handicrafts were made.
“This will enable entrepreneurs producing genuine Sarawak handicrafts to have a proper place to create and showcase their works to visitors. At the same time, the place can also become a tourist attraction.”
As an artist, she said she is very proud of her works because it’s her way to keep the traditional crafts alive and show the Kelabits do have some fine handicrafts that should be shared for posterity.