Bai Soemarlono

Thread by thread. Color by color. History by history. Sheila Hicks has been weaving softness and monumentality since the early 1960s. Fiber, structure, hue — her materials speak a language older than words. In this double solo exhibition, Hicks‘ work stands alongside Shi Hui. But here, we focus on the American-born, Paris-based artist who turned humble thread into international acclaim. She doesn’t just make textiles. She intertwines memories, geographies, and the tactile poetry of the handmade. 📍 On view 17 April – 2 August 2026 Curators: Clément Dirié, Liu Xiao, Chen Yangyi Watch the Reel. Feel the fiber. #SheilaHicks #MaterialMatters #ContemporaryTextiles #DoubleSoloExhibition

“We had never done craft work. It wasn’t easy, but we were confident we could do it.” (Anik) Bamboo baskets once carried flowers to the dead. Shibori Batik scraps once carried the heat of the rising temperatures of the climate stripe. Then two fine artists who never wove, wove to redefine connections between those materials which both carry life. What rose from their hands were breathing, floating organic sculptures, which carry “the memory of the sea that is constantly changing and never truly still.” (Bekti) —— “Kami belum pernah mengerjakan kerajinan tangan sebelumnya. Memang tidak mudah, tetapi kami yakin kami mampu melakukannya.” (Anik) Keranjang-keranjang bambu dahulu pernah mengangkut bunga bagi mereka yang telah tiada. Sisa-sisa kain Batik Shibori dahulu pernah membawa hawa panas dari suhu yang kian meningkat pada garis iklim. Kemudian, dua seniman rupa—yang sebelumnya tak pernah menenun—mulai menenun demi mendefinisikan ulang jalinan hubungan di antara kedua material tersebut; material yang sama-sama membawa kehidupan. Yang lahir dari tangan mereka adalah patung-patung organik yang bernapas dan melayang—karya-karya yang membawa “ingatan laut yang terus berubah dan tak pernah benar-benar diam.” (Bekti) #RedefiningConnections #CarryLife

Spring so far 🇩🇪🖤🧡💛

Justina & Liesty archived two cultures connected in noble resilience. Parang from Java symbolizes a sword and represents strength, courage, and an unwavering fighting spirit. It was the sacred motif of kings and nobles, symbolizing leadership, order, and cosmic power. Sakura from Japan has a strong historical link to the samurai, whose short, glorious lives mirrored the cherry blossom’s brief bloom. One faces challenges with tireless persistence. The other faces mortality with grace. Both carry the spirit of resilience. Both speak of nobility. “This collaborative work is a tribute to the creative process of re-creating a masterpiece of noble value in each piece.” Justina & Liesty This is not a pattern. It is a meeting of two ways to never give up. —— Justina & Liesty mengarsipkan dua budaya yang terhubung dalam ketangguhan yang luhur. Motif Parang dari Jawa melambangkan sebilah pedang, merepresentasikan kekuatan, keberanian, dan semangat juang yang tak tergoyahkan. Ia merupakan motif sakral bagi para raja dan kaum bangsawan, melambangkan kepemimpinan, keteraturan, dan kekuatan kosmis. Bunga Sakura dari Jepang memiliki kaitan sejarah yang erat dengan kaum samurai, yang masa hidupnya—singkat namun penuh kemuliaan—mencerminkan mekarnya bunga sakura yang hanya berlangsung sesaat. Yang satu menghadapi tantangan dengan kegigihan tanpa lelah. Yang lain menghadapi kefanaan dengan penuh keanggunan. Keduanya mengusung semangat ketangguhan. Keduanya menuturkan kisah keluhuran. “Karya kolaboratif ini merupakan sebuah penghormatan terhadap proses kreatif dalam menciptakan kembali sebuah mahakarya bernilai luhur di setiap kepingannya.” — Justina & Liesty Ini bukanlah sekadar sebuah pola. Ini adalah perjumpaan antara dua cara untuk pantang menyerah. Liesty & Justina The Archive of Intention #RedefiningConnections

When Tini Jameen was ask to partly wrap our wooden Batik masks with the original matching Batik fabric it reminded her of life — how we all have parts that need protection. That not everything needs to be seen. Then came the challenge: attaching fabric to curved wood. The needle refused to follow straight lines. Every stitch had to bend. She kept going. Because some things are worth hiding — and some things are worth the struggle to wrap them. —- Ketika Tini Jameen diminta untuk membalut sebagian topeng Batik kayu kami dengan kain Batik asli yang serasi, hal itu mengingatkannya pada kehidupan—bahwa kita semua memiliki bagian-bagian yang membutuhkan perlindungan. Bahwa tidak segala sesuatu harus diperlihatkan. Lalu muncul tantangannya: menempelkan kain pada kayu yang melengkung. Jarum itu enggan mengikuti garis lurus. Setiap jahitan harus melengkung. Ia terus melanjutkan pekerjaannya. Karena ada hal-hal yang layak disembunyikan—dan ada hal-hal yang layak diperjuangkan demi membalutnya. Tini Jameen Inside, Between, and Beyond #RedefiningConnections #TiniJameen

Laila Tifah has always hated sewing. But when she sensed this was an important moment, she said yes and WarSiyah joined in. Behind the needle: scraps. Fragments cut apart years ago. Now both stitches them back together, re-sewing each tiny fragment one by one. Both in their own different ways. It took patience. It became a meditation. What began as hard work slowly turned into calming enjoyment. Piece by piece. Row by row. What was separated learns to meet again. A Connection has been redefined. WarSiyah & Laila Rinai #RedefiningConnections Laila Tifah selalu membenci menjahit. Tetapi ketika ia merasa ini adalah momen penting, ia berkata ya dan WarSiyah ikut bergabung. Di balik jarum: potongan-potongan kain. Fragmen yang dipotong bertahun-tahun lalu. Sekarang keduanya menjahitnya kembali, menjahit ulang setiap fragmen kecil satu per satu. Keduanya dengan cara yang berbeda. Butuh kesabaran. Itu menjadi sebuah meditasi. Apa yang dimulai sebagai kerja keras perlahan berubah menjadi kenikmatan yang menenangkan. Potong demi potong. Baris demi baris. Apa yang terpisah belajar untuk bertemu kembali. Sebuah Koneksi telah didefinisikan ulang. WarSiyah & Laila Rinai

Yesterday, we gathered. The Empu collective. The art handler. Us. Renovation was still going on. The rooms were raw — dust on the floors, walls unfinished, light falling through windows not yet cleaned. No artworks in sight. Only imagination. We walked through empty spaces. Described what would go where. Moved invisible sculptures inches left, then right, then back again. We disagreed. We agreed. We laughed together. We ate together. We decided together. Soon, you will see the complete installation. But the feeling of yesterday — that is already installed. Stay tuned for the opening on 21st June 2026. #RedefiningConnections #EmpuCollective #InstallationDay #ArtExhibtion

We found rigid copper tubes and blue aluminum fins from our broken air conditioners. We collected Indigo Lurik leftovers and blue Batik scraps that remembered spring and currents. When we cut the metal, it bled blue dust and we saved every particle. Then we bent it. Slowly. Until it learned to flow. The fabric scraps beneath it — light, fragile, were never meant to carry any weight. They just cover weight. Now we gave it a spine. Sponge. Invisible. Soft. Strong. The rigid rests on the soft. The soft holds the rigid. They were never supposed to meet. Now they cannot be separated. #RedefiningConnections #Teaser #SpringWork #BlueLurik

Our next sample is the super lightweight Cotton / Linen blouson. It hides and reveals in the same breath the Jalawe-dyed motif of “Hands & Vision”. Depending on the light, the wifi symbol appears — then vanishes. A signal you catch only when the angle is right. Front zip. Rubber hem. Rubber cuffs. Open it. Close it. Let the fabric decide what it shows you. And the feel? Almost nothing. Like wearing air with a pattern. Not a print. A presence. Moving with you, not on you. #RedefiningConnections #HandsAndVision #JalaweDye #CottonLinen #WifiMotif

Died branches fell from our trees. Dull beads sat years in a drawer. Dusty fabric meant to dress someone. Tiny stones found on the path we walked. We could have thrown everything away. Instead, we asked: what if nothing is waste? But the real asking is not about what. It is about how. How much of the branch stays naked? How much of the stone remains stone — rough, touchable, unapologetic — before we cover it in yarn? How do we sew a bead onto a fallen branch without pretending we are not hurting it? There is no manual for this. There is only us, sitting on the floor of our studio, holding a branch in one hand and a needle in the other. Trying. Failing. Trying again. Every stitch is a love letter to something the world told us to discard. Every wrapped stone is a small rebellion against the idea that things have only one life. This is not a process. This is how we live. #RedefiningConnections #LeftoversAreNotWaste #HowWeLive #ForestAndSpring

Gallery Weekend Berlin in my mind 🇩🇪🖤❤️💛 #homesweethome #summerishere #galleryweekendberlin

Second sample. The story continues. After the kimono, now the cargo pant. It is not just a garment. It is a choice. 100% Linen. Double-dyed Jalawe. Motif: Rhythm & Revelry. Handmade. For the planet: Linen grows regeneratively. It asks for little water. It swallows no toxic chemicals. The dye is natural. The process is ancient. The waste is zero. For your body: Linen breathes. It cools. It comforts. Worn directly on the skin, it is said to carry a natural frequency that aligns with the body — a quiet calm, a gentle balance. Science may not yet name it. Wearers have always felt it. For your day: Relaxed fit. Drawstring waist. Freedom to move, squat, stretch, wander. Pockets for your essentials — phone, keys, a folded wish, a small stone. For the craft: This fabric was not printed by a machine. It was stamped by hand. Wax was applied. Dye was built layer by layer. The motif hardly visible depending on the light fall. Batik redefined. A tradition surviving not in a museum, but in your hands. You wear a cargo pant. You carry centuries. #RedefiningConnections #LinenCargo #NaturalDye #RegenerativeFashion #WearWithIntention