How do artists use rattan to challenge Western-centric art histories?

In the global art world, rattan has emerged as a powerful medium for artists seeking to disrupt Western-centric narratives. By weaving this organic, traditionally non-Western material into their work, creators reclaim cultural identity and challenge dominant art historical frameworks. Contemporary practitioners like Filipino artist Leeroy New and Indonesian collective Tromarama employ rattan not just as a material but as a symbolic language - its flexibility mirroring the adaptability of marginalized artistic traditions. These works often incorporate indigenous weaving techniques passed through generations, asserting the value of vernacular knowledge systems. The material's natural imperfections counter Western ideals of industrial precision, while its regional specificity resists homogenized notions of "global art." Through rattan, artists construct alternative art histories that prioritize local ecologies, communal labor, and sustainable practices over Eurocentric modernist trajectories. This material turn represents both an aesthetic revolution and a decolonial strategy, transforming craft traditions into conceptual art that demands institutional recognition. Galleries and biennales increasingly showcase such works, signaling a slow but significant shift in art world hierarchies. The rattan revolution proves that challenging Western dominance doesn't require rejecting modernity, but rather reimagining it through culturally rooted material intelligence.