Threads In Transition: Helping Malaysian Textiles Evolve
By Joanne Nathaniel
July 2025 FEATURE
HAVING SPENT MUCH of my recent years exploring Malaysia’s textile landscape and learning from craft communities across Asia, I have observed a poignant and recurring theme: an intergenerational worry about how these rich traditions will endure.Communities fear the loss of their art forms as they watch younger generations shy away from this work, citing long hours, low pay and the rising irrelevance of the skills involved.Yet, in contrast, I have witnessed a rising wave of curiosity and pride in the young,...
Joanne Nathaniel
is a multidisciplinary creative and community organiser who explores clothing and textiles as living narratives of belonging, resistance and tradition.
