Milay MAVALIW
Milay Mavaliw is a Puyuma artist born in Katatipul Village, Taitung, in 1962. Spanning painting, fibre art and installation, her practice is shaped by the visual memories and colour traditions of her community. Drawing from ceremonial headpieces and earth-toned palettes, she has developed a chromatic language rooted in Indigenous life. Since 2019, she has focused on crochet, weaving and hemp-rope soft sculpture, creating layered surfaces with saturated blues, grounded blacks and earthy yellows that evoke both restraint and quiet intensity.
Mavaliw’s artistic journey reflects her experiences in Taipei and Tokyo, her background in design and cultural product development, and her return to Taitung. She has recently held solo exhibitions at F Studio, Taipei (2024) and the Taiwan Indigenous Culture Park, Pingtung (2023). Her work has also been shown in the Asian Art Biennial (2024); Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, Hawaii (2024); The 1st Taiwan International Austronesian Art Triennial (2023); and Art Taipei (2023).
