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Batik and a Trip to Central Java

October 15, 2024

I love handwoven Lao cotton, and I love it even better when paired with batik. It’s the comfortable combination of the two, especially in a warm climate. One is relaxed and cushioning in its mould ...

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Off to Selangor with a TaiLeu Crew

July 19, 2018

When our business partners in Malaysia LokaLocal suggested we may be interested in participating in the Indigenous Arts Festival in Selangor, I must admit, I had to ask where's Selangor?  Now I kn...

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Insights from a trip to America with two weavers

August 6, 2017

How Ma Te Sai headed off to America with two Lao weavers for the Santa Fe International Art Market, and some observations.

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In Search of the Comb

August 5, 2016

Today, you may only identify the Kui (pronounced Gway) people by a comb worn in the front of the women’s hair. And not all the women wear this. However Say, our driver, guide and true lover of the ...

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A morning with the Akha Phouly, from the village behind the cliff.

August 4, 2016

It was dark when we arrived at the Muang Long market and the vendors themselves were still arriving and claiming their square. The Akha Pouly women were over in the corner, and it felt good over th...

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Craft Forward - An Invitation from the British Council

April 18, 2016

In January I was invited by the British Council to tell the story of Ma Te Sai, at a conference which exposed different Southeast Asian business models to Burmese producers, and shared knowledge of...

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