Lewa Pardomuan is an Indonesian based in Singapore. Lewa is a TV producer, who loves to travel, collects Indonesian textiles and many other artefacts. Since 1998, Lewa has collected more than 300 textiles from various cultures and islands in Indonesia and is a passionate advocate of “Indonesia is not all about batik”.

On 16 January 2021, Lewa led us on our first virtual trip across Indonesia through textiles on Zoom. You can watch the full video here:

Here are some thoughts (or #aNERDspective) that Lewa mentioned throughout the video. Note that these are not Lewa’s exact quotes. They have been rephrased by the editors for the reading format:

• On cultural appropriation, “if you wear it (something from another culture) with good intention, why not?”
• On deciphering meanings of textile, “we are so used to asking the significance of motifs when they could have just created some patterns as a reflection of their mundane everyday life. As a collector and/or dealer, we have to be careful about giving the appropriate context to the narratives that we tell.”
• On bringing Indonesian textiles to the world, “I see there is no problem in bringing them overseas, to boost the confidence of the weavers to have their works appreciated all over the world. However, it is up to the Indonesians to help preserve the tradition, to appreciate, to buy and to ensure that these artisans still work and earn money from textiles.”
• On Dior using Tenun Endek from Bali, “we saw the promotion of Rangrang textiles in a big way earlier. It become overproduced, the price of Rangrang dropped and there are a lot of imitations. This euphoria sounds like the mentality of a ‘colonised’ nation where we seek recognition from the West. Especially right now, in times of the pandemic, we have to look inwards into Indonesia for economic circulation and help these textile artisans.”
• On criteria for collecting textiles, “collect what you like. I do not see if it can appreciate in commercial value with time. I do collect new textiles, which many collectors look down. Do not see what others collect, Don’t go with the flow.”
• On how to differentiate real weaving versus those imitations found in Thamrin City, “you need to train your eyes. Read, read, read, buy and see the difference.”

Reading to understand and to discern textiles is mentioned and is highly encouraged by Lewa throughout the session. Here is the list of books that Lewa recommended during the talk:

1. Legacy in Cloth: Batak Textiles of Indonesia by Sandra Niessen
2. Walk in Splendor: Ceremonial Dress and the Minangkabau by John Summerfield and Anne Summerfield
3. Textiles Of Timor, Island In The Woven Sea, published by Fowler Museum at UCLA
4. Textiles of Southeast Asia: Tradition, Trade and Transformation by Robyn Maxwell
5. The Art of Indonesian Textiles: The E. M. Bakwin Collection at the Art Institute of Chicago (Museum Studies) by Brigitte Kahn Majlis.
6. Textiles for this World & Beyond: Southeast Asia–Treasures from Insular Southeast Asia by Mattiebelle Gittinger
7. Pesona Padu Padan Wastra Indonesia by Perkumpulan Wastra Indonesia

We hope you enjoyed the episode and tell us which island should we explore deeper?

Cover page of Pesona Padu Padan Wastra Indonesia 

Final note: We are selling a copy of the bilingual book of Pesona Padu Padan Wastra Indonesia by Perkumpulan Wastra Indonesia, a textile group that Lewa Pardomuan founded. Do contact us if you are looking for a book to learn more about Indonesian textiles and how to mix and match different Indonesian textiles for everyday wear.