KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — Repurposing trash is nothing new but what if you can elevate the pieces of trash into art?
That’s exactly what residents of Kuala Lumpur’s public housing project (PA) Seri Kota learnt recently from US eco-artist Kelsey Merreck Wagner in a “Trash Weaving Workshop” under Think City’s Kita-untuk-Kita (K2K) programme.
In their neighbourhood surau located just a stone’s throw away from the Bandar Tun Razak LRT train station, a group of about 16 women listened as Wagner explained how to use small tapestry looms to refashion unwanted scraps into woven art.
All that was needed was a wooden loom (or even a loom made from a flat piece of cardboard), strings, scissors, recycled materials cut into strips, and a comb to push down each strip to make the final weaving tighter.
“So if you have tried weaving or maybe when you did it when you were younger, it’s very simple, you can experiment in different ways. The only rule is to go ‘Over, Under, Over, Under’ the strings,” Wagner said as she demonstrated each step of the weaving process.
Textile artist Kelsey Merreck Wagner demonstrates weaving techniques. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
Wagner said you can weave any kind of material that is flexible and can be cut into strips — even plastic.
“So I got that idea… I learned it from other people that use it, and it’s called ‘plarn’ — that is a combination of the words ‘plastic’ and ‘yarn’,” she told Malay Mail when met at the workshop.
Kelsey Merreck Wagner, who splits her time between the US and Thailand, has been focusing on themes such as conservation and plastic consumption in her eco-art since 2017. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
Wagner explained that she loved conducting trash weaving workshops for two reasons — raising awareness about the environment and to bring communities closer.
“The first is that recycling and plastic pollution is such a problem everywhere in the world, and we really need to all work together to think of creative ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.
“But the second and equally important thing is that I love that art workshops bring communities together,” she said.
She said those who live in the same area or same building may not know all their neighbours, and such workshops enable people to build new relationships and do something “physical with their hands instead of being on the phone and disconnected from each other”.
Workshop participants had a pleasant Saturday afternoon together as they chatted and created their own unique weavings. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
While she has conducted two other workshops in Malaysia previously, this was Wagner’s first one with a local community living in the same residential area: “It’s really cool, really special… It’s been very fun to already see what the women are making, so much talent and imagination and creativity in everyone’s pieces,” she said.
Last year she showed her textile weavings using recycled materials at an exhibition in Bangkok and brought this exhibition to Penang at the invitation of Think City’s.
Nur Syahirah Muhammed Kuhonaiyakin said she enjoyed learning how to weave and making new friends. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
Bandar Tun Razak resident and trader Nur Syahirah Muhammed Kuhonaiyakin, 28, said this was her first time weaving.
“I’m really happy to learn new things, meet new friends together with ‘Cikgu Kelsey’,” she told Malay Mail, explaining that she only knew some of the workshop participants as friends before this.
Zubidah Mat Daud learnt that floor mats can be woven. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
Another participant Zubidah Mat Daud, 61, had as a child tried her hand at weaving “mengkuang” leaves and was one of the few workshop participants who knew how to make ketupat which is encased in woven leaves.
She said she used to sew floor mats from fabric scraps and give them away, and that she only discovered at this workshop that these mats can be woven.
“I’m very delighted because I now know how to make ‘alas kaki’ (floor mats),” the housewife said. “Now I know there’s no need to sew it.”
Zubidah plans to continue weaving, noting there is “no excuse” about not having the right equipment as even a piece of cardboard can be used as a loom.
Fazlina Othman already has plans to generate income from weaving with recycled materials. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
Batik entrepreneur Fazlina Othman, 40, was inspired to create new products using the weaving technique she had just learnt.
“We don’t have to throw plastic bags, we can recycle. So from what I learnt, I got the idea of using plastic to create bags for water bottles,” the PA Seri Kota resident of 13 years said.
She also shared her idea of creating a purse for coins, by folding and sewing up such weavings from recycled materials, along with other modifications such as adding batik as an inner lining and adding a button.
Eco-artist Kelsey Merreck Wagner poses with participants holding their completed projects. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
* Kelsey Merreck Wagner’s exhibition “Threads of Change” will run until 7pm on August 31 at the U.A.B Building in George Town, Penang.
