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Written by Coleen Gonner , 2nd February 2023Contributor: Vasiliki Markou
Marsa (right) with members of the Ina Manenu weaving group. Image from: CCD-NL Archive
A special thank you to the previous intern, Vasiliki, for conducting this interview with Marsa Fattu and letting me transform it into this blog post!
Today we invite you to be inspired by Marsa Ariyanti Fattu’s story, a talented Rote-Ndao ikat artist and empowered leader of the Ina Manenu weaving group.
Marsa Ariyanti Fattu. Image from: CCD-NL Archive.
Marsa’s Ikat Story: An Ode to Tradition
Marsa’s Ikat Story: An Ode to Tradition
Like many, and as tradition foretells, Marsa was taught the art of ikat as a young girl. Her mother, a skilled ikat weaver who supports the family’s livelihood through her craft, passed her knowledge onto her daughter. However, it wasn’t until Marsa graduated from high school that her interest in the traditional craftsmanship was sparked for the very first time. She started using ikat in her own creative way by interweaving tradition and modernity. By playing with her artistry and the ancient craft, she created contemporary garments and accessories.
For Marsa, ikat is now a part of her soul, it is fundamental to her sense of self. As her identity is deeply interwoven in the craft, her connection to the art of ikat is extremely powerful. Marsa views ikat as a vessel of self-expression because it allows her to pour out her heart and transform it into art in whatever form she chooses. Whether sad, angry, or happy, she has the freedom to express all of her emotions and weave them into beautiful cloth.
Marsa (left) and her sister Asmawet (right) showing their creations. Image from: CCD-NL Archive
Marsa creates various fashion designs from traditional clothing to office uniforms using ikat textiles. More specifically, she usually designs and sews garments from traditionally woven ikat fabric with Rote-Ndao motifs. Those motifs are from her region, to celebrate and honour her ancestors. The creation of one final quality textile can take between one and a couple of weeks on average depending on factors such as the intricacy of the design.
Throughout Marsa’s journey with ikat and fashion design, she sometimes changed her style to adapt to the trends of the market. However, she has always kept her signature style as an artist of interweaving modern designs with an ode to traditional motifs from her region. With that, she aspires to introduce the ancient craft to the rest of the world, broaden the ways of wearing ikat as well as widen the range of people that dress in ikat. So far, Marsa has proven that she has that power and gives ikat that potential as her designs have been shown at multiple fashion weeks and exhibitions during the last few years!
Marsa’s Fashion Designs at Indonesia Fashion Week 2022. Image from: https://www.instagram.com/indonesiafashionweekofficial/
The Story behind the Ina Manenu Weaving Group
The Story behind the Ina Manenu Weaving Group
Marsa was inspired and motivated to establish a community that empowers housewives and mothers who depend on their husband’s income and are seeking out additional income to support their families. She then founded an artisan weaving group and named it “Ina Manenu” which means in Indonesian “Woman Weaving” as these women are the backbone of the community.
Member of the Ina Manenu group weaving ikat. Image from: CCD-NL Archive.
On top of creating an empowering and supportive space for women, Marsa founded this artisan weaving group to preserve and protect the traditional craft of ikat. Due to the sad reality of nowadays fewer people caring about ancient craftsmanship, there is a risk of extinction for this art. Marsa, however, strongly believes that by increasing the visibility of ikat and introducing it to the outside world, people’s interest in the craft will rise and positive effects will follow. She told us that if batik cloth can be known worldwide, so can ikat woven cloth. Therefore, she and her sisterhood of weavers are working effortlessly to keep this cultural element alive and bring tradition back to textiles.
For the future of Ina Manenu, Marsa has big plans for her weaving group to further the women’s empowerment. She aims to contribute to their education to gain a deeper understanding of the various stages and processes that are involved in the creation of high-quality textiles. Not only will the artisans learn new skills, but by weaving in that knowledge, the market value of their beautiful ikat cloths will rise and they will be more financially empowered.
Ikat Clothes as “Culture Carriers”
Ikat Clothes as “Culture Carriers”
To end today’s story, we share this evermore important and heartfelt message from Marsa with you:
“I want people to have a greater appreciation for ikat and to make it a part of their identity. I don't want people to view ikat merely as a throwaway cloth that is used until it is worn out and then tossed away. Rather, I want them to perceive ikat as a cultural inheritance from our ancestors that must be preserved and passed down to future generations.”
“I want people to have a greater appreciation for ikat and to make it a part of their identity. I don't want people to view ikat merely as a throwaway cloth that is used until it is worn out and then tossed away. Rather, I want them to perceive ikat as a cultural inheritance from our ancestors that must be preserved and passed down to future generations.”
With this, we urge you to remember that traditionally crafted textiles like ikat represent more than just beautiful colors and designs, they are interwoven with meaning, history, and culture. These clothes are “culture carriers” and so are the people wearing them!
Marsa (left) wearing her designs at Indonesia Fashion Week 2022. Image from: Marsa Fattu
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