WEDNESDAY 11 | Ikat is a skill that has been practiced in Cambodia for more than 800 years. Seen today in the sampot hol skirts women wear to ceremonies and in the form of pidan, tapestries used to decorate pagodas, it’s an ancient art form that involves dyeing individual cotton threads which are eventually woven on traditional looms into full bolts of fabric. Basik 855, based in Phnom Penh, are fast becoming the new custodians of this craft: they hope to stimulate a renaissance by imparting a modern, global aesthetic onto ikat which is created on traditional warps and looms. Today, through a combination of photos, text and materials, Basik 855 will demonstrate how its artisans move from conceptualisation, trend forecasting and colour testing to a final design reflecting generations of talent.
WHO: Basik 855 and their ikat artisans
WHAT: Warped Traditions exhibition
WHERE: Artillery Cafe, Street 240½
WHEN: 7pm December 11
WHY: Ancient weaving techniques given a modern twist