Qadjai: Material Acknowledgements

15-17 October 2026

Pentago House, 58 Jln Rotan, Kampung Attap, Kuala Lumpur

In Indigenous Taiwanese epistemology and worldview, the “line” (Paiwan language: qadjai) is a key concept and metaphor. From woven textiles to house construction, hunting traps to agricultural practices, and fishing implements to the ornamentation of everyday objects, lines traverse every dimension of life. Lines are woven through food, clothing, dwelling, and movement, binding together materials, techniques, and social order. Before writing and calendrical systems came into widespread use, knotted cords were also employed by Indigenous Taiwanese to record time and count the passing of days. The line should thus be understood as a medium through which memory could be carried and knowledge could be transmitted.