This exhibition focuses on Mantanani, a small island off the coast of Malaysian Borneo. Though I grew up on the mainland, my mother runs an eco lodge there, and over the years the island has become a second home.
As the founder of Cloud and Essential Glasses, my goal has always been to create projects that make a meaningful impact on the communities and environments I care about.
The project began as a way to share the reef’s beauty and highlight why it deserves protection. But after returning in May and seeing the extent of the damage, it took on a different urgency.
At the heart of the exhibition is a two-part video installation. The first sequence, filmed in 2022, shows the reef vibrant and alive, intended as a meditative experience. The second, filmed three years later, shows the same reef after the fourth global mass bleaching event, the most severe on record. The stark shift transforms a quiet tribute into a call to restore and protect what remains.
Photographs taken between 2022 and 2025 accompany the video. Printed as embossed chine-collé works on Japanese washi paper, they offer impressions of the island, blurring the line between memory and reality.
Three years ago, I launched a plastic cleanup project on Mantanani, funded by sales of Essential Glasses. The goal is to turn collected plastic into new eyewear, creating a cycle that supports continued cleanup. The vision also includes coral nurseries, seagrass restoration, and local education initiatives.
Mantanani and Cloud share a common ethos of care, creativity, and contribution. This exhibition serves as a bridge between them, inviting others to get involved. You can support the project by donating, purchasing an artwork, or choosing a pair of sunglasses, with a portion of proceeds directly funding the work on the island.
— Jan Schilthuizen
