The yearly craft festival season transforms this area of Borneo into something that feels truly different from what most people associate with a regional arts market along the Kuching Waterfront, where the Sarawak River flows past shophouses and colonial-era buildings and the light off the water changes from bright to gold depending on the hour.
At the 2024 Borneo Craft Festival, a 58-year-old Pua Kumbu, a sacred Iban woven tapestry made by hand over many years using methods handed down through the generations, was on display for RM58,000. This particular element is at the core of what makes the Kuching craft industry unique: the items are authentic, made by people who have spent their entire lives creating them, and priced appropriately rather than being ornamental replicas of tradition.
Both the Sarawak Borneo Craft Festival and the BorneoCraft Global Expo and Conference, which are organized by the Sarawak Craft Council and Kraftangan Malaysia Cawangan Sarawak, respectively, have created international exchange programs that allow visiting artisans from Japan and other nations to interact directly with Sarawak’s native craftspeople. The format is deliberate and specific: it is a joint workshop where techniques are shared across cultures rather than an exhibition where foreign craftspeople demonstrate from a distance.
A local Pua Kumbu weaver or rattan plaiter will usually collaborate with a Japanese practitioner showcasing Kumihimo braiding or Sashiko needlework, and the workshop is structured to be truly reciprocal. Munga Su’ut, a 51-year-old artist from Kampung Tang Itong in Lawas, gave demonstrations at the 2025 Borneo Craft Festival finale at the Kuching Waterfront. She views her Lun Bawang tree bark crafts as a direct extension of her parents’ skills. This is the nature of the international exchange.
The Sarawak Tourism Board supports these initiatives for both commercial and cultural reasons. Sarawakian indigenous craftspeople frequently possess the skills and heritage, but they lack access to modern packaging design, international market expertise, or the kind of commercial framing that enables a craft item to compete for attention at a worldwide trade show.
The exchange programs are partly intended to close that gap; they are not intended to alter the things themselves, but rather to assist those who are presenting and selling them more successfully. This was made clear by the BorneoCraft Global 2024 conference, which had a theme of “Globalising Local,” 1,000 exhibits, a conference at the Hilton Kuching, and a declared goal to provide Sarawakian artists with real access to international markets rather than merely home acclaim.
It’s reasonable to question whether international artisan exchange events result in long-lasting results as opposed to conference memories. The best evidence is typically found in hybrid objects, which are created by Malaysian and Japanese artisans working together during a workshop and combining techniques from both traditions. It is also important to consider whether these items are sold, result in subsequent commissions, or foster additional relationships between the practitioners after the festival.
Observing how regularly the BorneoCraft events draw attendees from around the world while the Kuching Waterfront is crowded with locals gives one the impression that the combination of serious craft heritage and sincere openness to foreign exchange has created something that serves as more than just cultural tourism. It’s yet uncertain if it lasts long enough to significantly alter the commercial prospects of the participating craftsmen. However, the Pua Kumbu is still being weaved. That’s at least a start.
