MAYBANK Foundation has launched the“Entwine: Maybank Women Eco-Weavers meet Southeast Asian Artists” Travelling Exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore, making it the first Malaysian bank to feature a regional travelling art exhibition in Asia.
In conjunction with the launch of the exhibition, Maybank Foundation also signed a 3-year MOU with the National Museum of Singapore. The MOU was signed by director-designate of the National Museum of Singapore Chung May Khuen and Maybank Foundation CEO Shahril Azuar Jimin. It was witnessed by deputy chief executive of the National Heritage Board Jennifer Chan, and the Chairman of Maybank Group and Maybank Foundation Datuk Mohaiyani Shamsudin.
Through the MOU, Maybank Foundation and the National Museum will work together to promote the art, culture and heritage of Southeast Asia, including the Southeast Asian art of textile weaving.
The potential areas of collaboration are exhibitions and installations that may include co-curation, joint-commissioning, hosting of travelling exhibitions, research, publications and technology sharing.
The art exhibition, an initiative by Maybank Foundation under its Balai Seni Art Series, showcases a collection of artworks created by six Southeast Asian contemporary artists after they completed short-term residencies at the various weaving centres with Maybank Women Eco-weavers across the region.
The Maybank Women Eco-Weavers programme, one of Maybank Foundation’s flagship programmes, supports weavers’ livelihood through training, capacity- building and microfinancing.
“The Maybank Women Eco-Weavers programme, started since 2016, is an initiative that brings together ASEAN’s heritage through the ancient art of textile weaving to create a sustainable weaving industry. It continues to gain traction and reach, and is recognised at the ASEAN level as a programme that promotes textiles globally in a sustainable manner, while promoting economic independence and financial inclusion for women weavers across the region.
“The concept of the exhibition fuses the diversity of textile weaving culture in Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Indonesia into one to showcase an ASEAN heritage full of identity and pride. This is in line with Maybank’s mission to humanise financial services and to support talents from across the region in their quest to reach greater heights of success,” added Shahril.
Maybank’s commitment to the arts has touched the lives of thousands of people with the artistic works of hundreds of artists in numerous exhibitions held since 1988 at Balai Seni Maybank in Malaysia. It has inspired and encouraged artists to pursue their dreams, whilst inculcating an appreciation of Malaysia’s unique, diverse and vibrant national heritage.
