2024
Commissioned by the Singapore Art Museum, we designed the exhibition catalogue for Yee I-Lann: Mansau-Ansau, a publication that invites readers to explore the textured aesthetics of the Sabah-born artist's versatile practice. Yee I-Lann's work spans photomedia, batik, weaving, and video, reflecting two decades of engagement with critical themes like colonial critique, power, and politics, and their alternatives in egalitarian forms, language, and economies.
Mansau-Ansau in Dusun (the language of the Dusun and Kadazan of Sabah) means to walk without a predetermined destination. It evokes a wandering path that welcomes chance and possibilities. Translated into a weave, it manifests as a pattern without pattern, a pattern that follows its own rhythm. The design concept was inspired by the curatorial vision articulated by lead curator June Yap: "The book is like a mat – a place to be in each other's presence, to give space, and to engage." This idea of the mat, not only as a woven form but as a space of connection and exchange, became the guiding metaphor for the publication's structure, aesthetic and textural influence.
Titled On The Mat with Yee I-Lann, each chapter begins with a bold, vibrant colour, creating a visual rhythm that reflects the dialogue between regional and international voices, including writers, curators, and critics. These sections seamlessly transition into spreads featuring beautifully reproduced full-colour images of Yee’s works, offering a rich interplay of textual and visual narratives.
The design emphasises both the tactile and conceptual qualities of Yee’s practice, echoing the interwoven threads of the mat while giving prominence to the layered philosophies underpinning her art. The result is a publication that not only complements the exhibition but also stands as a reflection of Yee I-Lann’s enduring legacy and the critical conversations her work inspires.
