If saints were Bornean

Moyang & Santo explores the connection between Dayak Indigenous identity and Catholic faith. Inspired by traditional Christian images of saints, the work asks: what would saints look like if they were Bornean?

A hornbill for the Holy Spirit

A hornbill represents the Holy Spirit, a Kayan-inspired tattoo represents God the Father, and a mother and child reflect Mary and Jesus through Bornean clothing and objects. At the centre, a mirror reflects the viewer, placing us among the ancestors and saints.

The work connects the Dayak belief that ancestors continue to guide and protect us with the Catholic belief that saints pray and intercede for us, and asks how faith can be expressed through our own cultures rather than only through Eurocentric traditions.