This Free Art Exhibition In KL Features Over 60 Traditional Baskets From Sabah That Float In Mid-air

Bakul: Everyday Baskets exhibition

Whether you have an appreciation for aesthetically-pleasing work, or are interested in Malaysia’s cultural heritage, you’ll find this new exhibition in Kuala Lumpur a must-visit spot. 

Featuring over 60 varieties of handwoven baskets, Bakul: Everyday Baskets From Sabah is a celebration of the traditional home staple made and used for every purpose under the sun – from carrying crops and infants to storing medicine. 

Take a look at what you can see at The Godown between 7th January and 23rd February 2023.

Over 60 baskets that seem to float in mid-air

Art objects don’t always have to be viewed on display pedestals. Neither do they have to just be about aesthetics or be profoundly valuable. At the Bakul exhibition you’ll find just such a statement against the conventional: nearly 70 woven baskets used for various everyday purposes are hung from the two-storey high ceiling with near-invisible strings.

The suspension of the baskets adds a whimsical feeling to the free-admission exhibition. See each woven piece in 360 degrees by weaving your way between them in the spacious hall. 

You might feel tempted to give the baskets a little spin – but this is not allowed for the safety of the objects on display. Nonetheless, there are small movements to catch that’ll be great for videos, as fresh outdoor air is able to move freely through the well-ventilated exhibition space. 

Various baskets for everyday use

A bayung and balait.

The baskets on display are part of local author, Jennifer P. Linggi’s, personal collection. 

She travelled around Sabah to learn and document basket-weaving processes from village locals in the region. While the baskets in her collection could easily pass as art pieces on their own, they are actually traditionally used by the locals in their domestic day-to-day activities. Among the most commonly used is the bayung, a bag used for carrying raw sago, that looks  like an aesthetic decor piece that works to add flair to any living space.

Even if they are used for ordinary purposes, the baskets do not always appear ordinary and without colour.

The tudung duang, or tinduang, is a vibrant semi-conical basket made from palm leaves and used for covering food. Another equally colourful basket is the buyuung maatik, crafted from bamboo and decorated with beads and pieces of fabric. It’s traditionally filled with items such as rice, sugar, and fabric during wedding ceremonies.

Various baskets used for storing items such as betel nuts, vegetables, and tobacco.

Learn more about the basket-making process

For history and culture buffs extra curious about the craftsmanship of the baskets, there are several educational spots for you to learn more about them. On the same floor as the main exhibition space are two cosy rooms – the first showcases a reel of the collector’s journey through Sabah, visiting villages there and meeting with local basket makers.

The other room houses a low table and bench, where notebooks containing various sketches, notes, and photographs related to the baskets can be flipped through freely.

On the mezzanine floor of the exhibition space, you’ll find various basket-making tools used by locals in Kampung Bakuku neatly arranged on the floor. 

There are several unfinished baskets displayed too, so visitors can have a closer look at the work that goes into making a basket – a process that includes shaving, peeling, and weaving various materials such as bamboo.

Hung on the walls are informative posters for each basket on display, detailing how each one is used through photographs and captions. This segment serves as a helpful reference if you wonder how a charming item you come across in the exhibit is used traditionally. 

Visit Bakul exhibition at The Godown in KL 

There is plenty of beauty all around us, and much of it often go unnoticed – and these baskets are proof of that. While traditionally used to store rice and trap poultry, among other everyday functions, the baskets on display at this exhibition show the beauty of cultural artefacts and the intricate craftmanship of Borneo’s ethnic groups. 

The exhibition is free to enter, but you’ll need to make an online registration here.

Venue: The Godown, 7, 11 Lorong Ampang, Off Jalan Bukit Nanas, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
Date: 7th January till 23rd February 2023
Time: Mon-Thu 12pm-6pm | Fri-Sun 12pm-7pm

Other new openings to check out:

• Van Gogh Alive exhibition in KL opens till March 2023
• Paris Baguette from Korea opens first outlet in Malaysia
• Skyline Luge to open in Malaysia in 2023

Photography by Janet Cho.