’Weaving The Ocean’ began with the idea of replacing vanishing natural materials with new “natural” materials that can be found easily. One day, I discovered an abundant supply of plastic ropes tangled in the roots of mangrove trees near Sanur on the coast of Bali. Entwined with the roots, the plastic rope appeared almost to be like a naturally growing part of the trees. This discovery led me to use the plastic threads as material for weaving. Plastic is so abundant in our environment these days that it has essentially now became a major element of the natural world. Our lives have become entangled with plastic products in much the same fashion as the coral that I found growing on plastic ropes along the shoreline of Sanur.

The economic situation in Bali has now become dire with no tourists able to visit the island. Almost all of Bali’s hotels and restaurants are now closed down so I am indeed happy to have been able to employ and collaborate with my four assistants right up until now. The weaving project has generated decent money for this group during this difficult period however it is still only a handful of people from the island and I wish I could do more. At the same time, I have been sending messages to fellow Balinese about what we can do when business from tourism is no longer available. The answer is to be found in nature. Bali possesses a wealth of natural resources which we find ways of using as well as conserving. In nature we can find hope for a better future. The interweaving our culture and nature in a harmonious manner is one of most hopeful things human beings can do. I am happy to be part of the resilience of the Balinese people. Hopefully this project will develop even further to sustain the environment and help out more people in this society.