Shop Kamaro'an at Tempo Design Store
When did Kamaro'an begin, and what was the main idea behind the brand? Has the main idea changed over time?
Kamaro’an began in 2013 as a school project, part of the practical research thesis that my partner Shane and I developed during our industrial design studies. The project focused on how design and craftsmanship can achieve a balance and mutually enhance each other within each handmade object. For example, design brings the precision of reproducibility, while craftsmanship brings cultural context and the unique value of the handmade.
While working on this project, I met my partner, Tipus Hafay, a member of the Pangcah tribe from the Natauran tribe with a background in cultural documentation. After we graduated in 2015, we decided to continue the project, and here we are, nearly ten years later! I’d say the core idea has remained the same, though our approach to documenting and interpreting tribal craft has matured and become more relaxed. Often, our process involves returning to the everyday life experiences of craftsmen like Nacu, Imay, Sawmah, Dopoh, and Badagaw. Inspiration often comes from daily conversations with them, and together, we experiment and create, day by day.
When we think about everyday crafts that are both created and used daily, we’re naturally drawn back to the practical craftsmanship found in the indigenous tribes on Taiwan’s small island.
How many people work at the Kamaro'an atelier, and where is it located in Taiwan?
Our team includes two full-time craftsmen, Nacu and Imay. Nacu has been with us for seven years, and Imay for over four. People often assume they are models or that our weaving is done by elderly grandmothers, but in fact, they are the ones who weave most of our products. Both were raised in their tribes, and weaving skills are a family tradition for them, passed down from their mothers and grandparents.
We also have three part-time craftsmen—Sawmah, Dopoh, and Kacaw—who each handle specific areas like plant dyeing and weaving. They are also involved in other cultural work, such as filming documentaries and promoting traditional materials like ramie and indigenous weaving techniques. Additionally, four freelance craftsmen, all Pangcah mothers who work from home while caring for their children, have collaborated with us for over five years.
We have two studios in Taiwan: Kamaro’an House in Taipei, where customers can see our work and browse literature and craft-related books. Usually, Nacu and Sawmah are there to introduce visitors to the craft processes, and customers can also bring products for maintenance and repairs. Our Hualien studio focuses on plant dyeing and weaving umbrella sedge. Located on Taiwan’s eastern coast, Hualien is home to many Pangcah tribes and the natural sources for these handmade materials.
Which indigenous tribes in Taiwan does Kamaro'an represent?
Our craftsmen are primarily from the Pangcah tribe, with one from the Paiwan tribe in Pingtung. However, since weaving techniques and craft traditions are flowing and influenced by various tribes, we don’t emphasize a strict association with a single tribe. Instead, we interpret each piece and its technique from the perspective of the Austronesian language family. Taiwan is the northernmost part of this language family, which extends south along migration paths through the Philippines, New Zealand, Hawaii, and even Tahiti, where many cultures and languages have influenced each other.
Is traditional weaving the main overarching theme of Kamaro'an?
Yes, weaving is a central theme across all Kamaro'an products. Some techniques are drawn from traditional rattan wares, like the edge bindings on farming baskets or the woven rings on knife handles. Others come from traditional mat weaving, such as the riyar pattern. We’re also exploring loom weaving, which holds a wealth of cultural knowledge and ancestral body memory between the warp and weft.
Weaving spans all our products, likely because body memory holds a special importance in tribal culture. In the past, there was no written language, so history and knowledge were passed down through oral tradition, songs, and physical labor. For instance, when Imay was young, her father taught her to dive, observing the sea, waves, and tides, and those memories are imprinted in her body. Weaving involves a similar physical memory—a way for younger generations to feel connected to their ancestors.
We often come back to a quote we love: “When you weave, you stand among many generations of tradition.” Through weaving, Nacu has revisited many memories with her mother, and that brings us so much happiness every time we hear it.
What is the cultural heritage of Kamaro'an?
I’d say it’s about connection—connecting people, history, and the land. This heritage is built through cultural practices that are performed every day, like weaving. Even Imay’s routine of going surfing before work is part of what makes up Kamaro’an’s legacy.
How are you impacted and inspired by nature and the seasons?
Our craftsmen’s tribes are mostly coastal, so the local plants, items washed ashore by the waves, and the rhythm of nature greatly influence our work.
We are very passionate about natural materials and natural pigments. What are the different natural dyed pigments that Kamaro'an offers for their products?
Taiwanese indigenous tribes actually use a limited range of dyes, with shoulang yam being the primary dye material. Unlike Japan, which has developed extensive cherry blossom and persimmon dyes, the dyeing methods here are often practical in purpose. For example, yam dye strengthens natural fibers for durability and makes fishing nets nearly invisible in the sea, so shoulang yam-dyed materials are widely used. Sometimes, these fibers are soaked in hot springs (iron-based mordant) to fix the color, but yam remains central. Betel nut dye is another example, where the entire betel nut plant is used fully: its trunk marks boundaries, its flower is used in soup, its fruit is a social and romantic medium, and its seed is used as a dye—making full use of the betel nut’s resources.
Apart from Kamaro'an House, what are three other destinations in Taipei that you would recommend our readers to visit?
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National Taiwan University’s Anthropology Museum: This museum contains many indigenous Taiwanese artifacts from the Japanese colonial period. Because it’s an anthropology collection, it focuses more on folk art, offering a window into the worldview and life philosophy of each tribe. It’s a beautiful, peaceful museum.
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Wenzhou Street and Yongkang Street: Our daily paths and streets are near NTU, filled with old buildings, bookstores, restaurants from the Japanese colonial period, and laid-back cafés. This area is like a mini-representation of Taiwan’s multicultural layers and food culture. Many important scholars and painters lived here in the past, and it’s a lively street.
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Dadaocheng: This is one of Taipei’s oldest streets, with tea shops, traditional Chinese medicine, baskets, and folk art shops. There isn’t much modern design here, just the essential, everyday items people need. The buildings are especially beautiful, like a Taiwanese take on Western architecture.
For our readers who wish to learn more about the preservation of craft, tradition, using natural materials, and techniques, what is your advice and message?
I’d recommend reading the works of Yanagi Sōetsu. His perspective on craft combines socialist and Buddhist thinking. Then, get hands-on—crafting every day is the best way to practice and understand it.
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Kamaro'an Craftsmen: Nacu, Imay, Badagaw, Sawmah, Dopoh.
