Serumpun: Crafts Across Borders

‘Before the colonial governments came, we were serumpun.’ – Pak Sujianto, the ketua Kampung, Jagoi Babang in Kalimantan (2022)

Serumpun means a bundle of grass that shares the same root. It helps us convey how knowledge, wisdom and material cultures in craft across the borders of Kalimantan, Sarawak and Sabah connect together as a wider ecosystem. ‘Serumpun’ is also the title for this collective publication, which shares and reflects upon the process and outcomes from Cultural Assets and Vernacular Materials (C&VM) and the 11 craft projects that took place across Borneo in 2022. We explore craft and expand upon ways in which craft embodies knowledges and wisdom, drives activism and supports unity.