Published: November 12, 2025

A Meeting of Threads — How It Began

On 18 December 2023, a talk titled “The Role of Art and Culture in Fostering Social Cohesion” was successfully held through close collaboration between the Embassy of the Republic of Timor-Leste in Brunei Darussalam and Huifong’s Art Gallery.

Art and culture enthusiast, and spouse to the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Brunei Darussalam, Madam Ana Guterres, shared stories about the lives and livelihoods behind the Tais — a textile that stands as a powerful symbol of Timor-Leste’s culture. Several Tais were displayed in the exhibition space, offering the audience a hands-on encounter with their texture and intricacy.

It was then and there that I first met this remarkable textile — one of beauty, strength, and deep cultural significance.

What first drew me to the Tais were its bold stripes, abstract motifs, and intricate threads, forming a texture so alive that touching it evoked a vivid sensory moment.

This piece of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, a fabric so deeply tied to Timorese identity, is truly a treasure to be cherished.

Listening to the Fabric — Discovering the Material

On 26 October 2025, after 14 years of application, Timor-Leste became the 11th member state of ASEAN. A reception celebrating this historic milestone was held on 10th November 2025 at the International Convention Centre, Brunei Darussalam.

I had the wonderful opportunity to be invited to create an art piece that His Excellency Abel Guterres and Madam Ana Guterres would present to The Honourable Dato Seri Setia Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd. Yusof, Minister of Foreign Affairs II, the Guest of Honour that evening.

After a brief discussion with Madam Ana, I decided that I would paint on the Tais. There were two narrow pieces available, and rather than choosing one, both Madam Ana and I decided to sew them together — a gesture symbolic of unity, friendship, and a shared future. My mother, with her decades of tailoring experience, supported our vision by assisting us to sew the pieces according to our concept.

When I began painting, the experience unfolded into something truly unique.

Painting over the woven fibres with a primer caused some natural dyes to smear. Yet instead of panicking, I found joy in the process — it revealed how gentle and organic the dyes were, as if the textile itself was breathing. It felt natural, working with something that came from nature.

After laying it out to dry under the sun for a few hours — repeating the cycle once more — I was ready to paint.

Respecting the Weave — Cultural Weight and Responsibility

As a first-timer painting on Tais, I found that the textile sometimes resisted me — but in that resistance, it surprised and taught me. It led me to reflect on the coexistence of tradition and modernity, and how a living tradition can endure in the face of change.

Beyond the Fabric — Reflection and Continuation

Upholding tradition while embracing modernization is a delicate journey — one that invites both challenge and opportunity.

I often reflect on how traditions risk losing their inheritors to rural–urban migration, and how those who continue the craft face limited resources. Markets and tourism may increase demand for traditional products, but how sustainable can that be against the tide of modern consumption and technology in this AI-driven world?

We can — and must — coexist harmoniously in a modern world that still values tradition and culture. Yet, one must ask: how much can a culture bearer sustain by tradition alone?

This experience taught me about cultural connection and artistic humility. It changed how I view art — not merely as a statement, but as a dialogue across materials, histories, hearts, and embracing the change of times.

I’m always a beginner in the eyes of culture — never knowing too much, yet never too little; never fulfilled, but never starved.

I hope that the dialogue between my paintbrush and the Tais continues to stir minds and hearts, extending into the real world through more cross-cultural collaborations with Tais weavers and painters.

As the two Tais are sewn with a single thread symbolizing unity, friendship, and a shared future among ASEAN nations, may that same thread also remind us of the enduring bond between culture and modernity — a harmony we must continue to weave together.

Let all’s well that ends well.

在意义的织线上作画：我与东帝汶泰斯纺织品的相遇

发布日期：2025年11月12日

经纬交汇——缘起

2023年12月18日，在东帝汶驻文莱大使馆与慧芬艺廊的密切合作下，一场题为《艺术与文化在促进社会凝聚力中的作用》的讲座成功举办。

艺术文化爱好者、东帝汶驻文莱大使夫人安娜·古特雷斯女士，在讲座上向大家讲述了泰斯——这一作为东帝汶文化有力象征的纺织品——背后关于生活与生计，承载着人们的生活与精神的故事。展览空间中陈列几件泰斯织布，让观众能够亲手感受其质感与精妙工艺。

正是那时那地，我初次遇见了这种非凡的织物——它美丽、坚韧，且具有深厚的文化意义。

最初吸引我的是泰斯那鲜明大胆的条纹、抽象的图案和层层交织的经纬。触摸它时，那种质地仿佛带着生命，唤起一种鲜活的感官共鸣。

这件被联合国教科文组织非物质文化遗产，这种与东帝汶的民族精神与身份认同紧密相连的织物，确实是值得珍视的瑰宝。

倾听织物——发现材质

2025年10月26日，经过14年的申请，东帝汶成为东盟第11个成员国。2025年11月10日，在文莱国际会议中心举行了一场招待会，庆祝这一历史性的里程碑。

我很荣幸受邀创作一幅艺术作品，由东帝汶大使阿贝尔·古特雷斯阁下与夫人在那天晚上赠送给当晚的主宾——外交部第二部长。

经过简单的交流后，安娜和我决定，我将在泰斯上进行绘画。当时有两块窄幅的泰斯可用，我们没有选择其一，而是决定将它们缝合在一起——这一举动象征团结、友谊与共同的未来。我的母亲凭借多年裁缝经验，欣然答应协助我们完成这项象征性的缝合。

当我开始绘画时，这段经历展现出了真正独特的一面——我发现这是一场与织物之间的奇妙对话。

在泰斯上涂上一层固定剂时，一些天然染料微微晕开。然而，我没有惊慌，反而在这个过程中感到欣喜——那一刻，我似乎感受到织物在“呼吸”。那份柔和与自然，提醒我这是来自土地与人手的工艺。

将其在阳光下晾晒几个小时后——并再次重复这个过程，我便准备好开始绘画了。

尊重编织——文化的力量与责任

第一次在泰斯上绘画，我发现这种织物有时会“抗拒”我，但正是在这种抗拒中，它给了我惊喜，也教会了我东西。它引导我思考传统与现代的共存，以及活着的传统如何在时代的浪潮下持续再在。

超越织布——反思与延续

守护传统与拥抱现代，是一种微妙的旅程，它也是一条充满挑战却又充满机遇的路。

我常常思考，传统如何因农村向城市的迁移，在年轻人迈向科技与现代的工作中时，传统工艺面对失去传承者的风险。而那些仍在坚持这门手艺的人又如何面临资源有限的困境？虽然市场与旅游业能带来对传统产品的需求，但在这个人工智能驱动的世界里，面对现代消费和技术的浪潮，传统如何找到可持续的发展之路？

我们能够也必须在一个仍然重视传统与文化的现代社会和谐共存。然而，人们必须问：文化的传承者仅靠传统，能走多远，能维持多久？

这次经历让我深刻体会到文化的连接和艺术上的谦逊。它改变了我对艺术的看法——艺术不再只是“表达”，更是一次跨越材料、历史、心灵的对话与时代的共存。

在文化面前，我永远是个初学者——从不知晓太多，但也从不太少；永不满足，但也从不饥渴。

我希望我的画笔与泰斯之间的对话能够持续激荡思想与心灵，并通过跨文化合作，为传统手艺人和画家开拓更广阔的机遇之路。

正如那两块泰斯由一根象征团结、友谊与和东盟国家共同未来的线缝合在一起，愿那同一根线也象征着文化与现代的和谐共生。

结局好，一切都好。