THE TIME OF TANOTI

Spotlighting the local indigenous art of songket weaving at her women-led foundation, Jacqueline Fong looks to breathe new life into old traditions with Tanoti Crafts.

- SWAROOPINI NAIR

With the renaissance of the local crafts scene in Malaysia, artists from all walks of life are showcasing their artform in myriad ways. From the pop-ups dotted around Taman Paramount to the local art sellers of Pasar Seni, art lives on in our nation's culture. This is something Jacqueline Fong has come to understand.

As the Co-Founder and Director of Tanoti, a Sarawakian women-led foundation whose mission is dedicated to preserving local craftsmanship while supporting the community, Jacqueline has come a long way in uplifting the arts and craft space for East Malaysia. From her early days working in the banking space to her current role residing on the panel of judges for the Hasanah Gold Thread Awards, her determination to modernise traditional crafts to carry on the history of Malaysia predates any renaissance the industry could foresee. We find out how it all began and how that's going.

What inspired this move from corporate to community-based work with Tanoti?

A bank flows money to those who need packaging products to receive money from those who have. The process is called intermediation. The same modus operandi is being carried out by Tanoti. Essentially, we operate to generate income for craft artisans by applying packaging, branding, and marketing strategies to sell their products and services to target consumers.

My transition from corporate to community was driven by the nagging feeling that the incremental value of my efforts would be much more appreciated by this other demographic of ‘clients’ by applying the same mechanics of intermediation.

How does Tanoti bring awareness to the rural communities of Sarawak, and are there any goals the foundation is looking to achieve?