Threads of Memory, Woven in Wulai

Tminun brings together weaving artisans from the Wulai area to introduce visitors to the traditions of Atayal weaving through textiles, traditional techniques and the stories of contemporary weavers.

In the Atayal language, tminun means weaving. Here, it also speaks to the continuation of cultural memory. Weaving was once an essential skill in traditional Atayal life. As lifestyles changed, traditional weaving became less common in everyday life, and fewer people continued to learn and practise the craft.

The weavers featured in this exhibition have worked to reconnect these traditions through community memory, museum collections, teachings from elders and continued practice.
 

✴ Four Weavers, Four Stories

Taka Workshop | Taka Tana

Taka Tana is from the Xinxian community in Wulai and grew up surrounded by elders who practised weaving. She later travelled to Indigenous communities in Yilan, Hsinchu and Taoyuan to learn from elders and deepen her understanding of traditional techniques.

Through teaching and hands-on workshops, she continues to document cultural patterns and draw upon museum collections and community memory, helping traditional patterns associated with Wulai return to contemporary textiles.

Yokay Workshop | Yokay Bayas

Moved by the gradual loss of traditional skills, Yokay Bayas began studying and passing on weaving techniques, with three generations of her family learning together.

Alongside traditional weaving, she also promotes natural dyeing using plants traditionally used by the Atayal people, including indigo (Strobilanthes cusia) and dye yam (Dioscorea cirrhosa), bringing attention to the relationship between local plants, colour and craft.

Sayun Workshop | Sayun Yuraw

The name of Sayun Workshop comes from the artisan’s Atayal name, Sayun.

As traditional weaving has become less common in daily life, Sayun Yuraw has continued to preserve traditional patterns through teaching, cultural experiences and the creation of new works. Her practice presents weaving not only as a craft, but also as a bearer of Atayal cultural memory.

Bilin Workshop | Bilin Yukan

Bilin Yukan established her workshop in 2001 and has since focused on traditional Indigenous woven clothing and textiles, as well as teaching and hands-on experiences.

After first encountering Atayal weaving in 1990, she continued studying traditional dyeing and weaving techniques. Traditional patterns and the interplay of warp and weft have remained central to her work ever since.
 

✴ Discovering the Details of Atayal Weaving

The exhibition includes traditional Atayal textiles, woven cloth, framed woven works and garments, together with traditional weaving equipment, including a warping frame.

Among the works is OX-pattern weaving, traditionally created with cotton or ramie thread using supplementary-weft techniques. The pattern is associated with the Quchi group of Atayal communities in Wulai.

Another work, a bell vest, combines natural ramie with wool yarn, buttons, Job’s tears seeds and glass beads, using a variety of warp- and weft-based weaving techniques to bring together traditional craft and decorative detail.

The exhibition also presents the traditional Atayal backstrap loom, a horizontal loom held in tension by the weaver's own body. Seeing the loom makes it easier to understand how each warp and weft thread is shaped through both technique and physical movement.
 

✴ An Encounter with Atayal Culture in Wulai

A visit to Wulai is not only an encounter with the forest and mountains, but also with the cultural history of the Atayal people who have long lived in this region.

Through weaving, Tminun introduces the lives of contemporary artisans, traditional techniques and patterns that continue to carry cultural meaning today.

Thread by thread, the work continues.