About Kain Kita

Who are we?

Kain Kita is a collective movement telling the stories of traditional fabrics and textiles known as kain in Indonesia.

We believe that gathering and sharing this cultural information is crucial for sustaining the many cultures that make up Indonesia, and for contributing to the continued social welfare of indigenous communities.

What do we do?

Indonesia contains an abundance of natural wealth and cultural diversity, as seen in the fabrics known more generally as kain. Through the locally-sourced cotton and natural dyes used in the weaving process, each kain embodies the physical and social environment in which it is made.

Kain also provides a record of local knowledge that can include spiritual philosophies, weaving techniques and methods, artistic tastes and expressions, and the cultural blueprint of a society, particularly given the role of women as weavers or fabric makers. Kain also represents the collective rights of indigenous women in relation to their knowledge, their women’s areas, and their self-autonomy as well as their leadership roles within their community.

Why are we here?

While you can find academic research about kain, it’s not easily accessible to the general public. Kain Kita therefore aims to record the unique and untold stories behind these fabrics. How do you make fabrics like batik, ikat, songket, jumputan, bark, and more? Who are the women weavers or fabric makers in the villages? What is the significance of the fabric for a community? What are the innovations that have developed in fabric making and production? Why do we need to wear kain? There’s so much to explore once we realise that kain is more than just a piece of cloth.

How do we do it?

We aim to visit various villages and write down our first-hand experiences of seeing the fabric-making process and meeting craftsmen or kain artists. We then share our stories with the general public to attract interest in kain and build momentum for creative campaigns and other collective collaborations. We aim to publish stories about kain in Indonesian and English on a regular basis through online channels including blogs and social media.

Who can join us?

Anyone can join us. You can help us document and promote kain by writing stories, taking pictures, recording videos, or getting involved in organizing activities around kain with us.

Please follow our social media and contact us to get involved as contributors!