Mother–daughter duo weaves Jakarta textile art story
Sustainable atelier transforms factory offcuts into expressive artworks, blending family bonds, memory and second chances through hand-stitched design
JAKARTA, Indonesia (MNTV) — In a modest studio in Indonesia’s capital, discarded fabric scraps are being transformed into intricate textile artworks through a mother–daughter collaboration rooted in sustainability and storytelling.
Threadapeutic, founded in 2015 by Jakarta-based artist Hana Surya, repurposes garment factory offcuts into one-of-a-kind tapestries that blur the line between craft and fine art. The studio’s work is shaped by Surya’s lifelong relationship with needlework and her preference for slow, hand-stitched processes.
Surya began sewing informally, learning embroidery and cross-stitching during her college years before taking formal sewing lessons while pregnant with her second child. She later used those skills to make clothing and small accessories for her family, developing a deep appreciation for the tactile rhythm of hand sewing.
Her artistic direction took shape after volunteering at Indonesian Fashion Week, where she was tasked with reusing discarded event banners. The experience led fashion designers to donate surplus fabric offcuts, providing the raw materials that became the foundation of Threadapeutic’s work.
Over the past decade, the atelier has grown into a small enterprise employing seven artisans and designers, many without formal art or design training. Together, they transform unwanted materials into layered, emotive textile pieces, each unique in form and narrative.
The project has since become a family endeavor. Surya’s youngest daughter, Andriana Justine, joined the studio after completing an industrial design degree in Singapore and facing prolonged job uncertainty. She initially supported Threadapeutic during preparations for its first solo exhibition in Bali, assisting with exhibition design and communications.
Working together deepened their relationship, with Andriana gaining new insight into her mother’s creative journey. She said the process revealed how Threadapeutic evolved organically, shaped by available materials, community support and personal history rather than rigid planning.
The experience also reshaped Andriana’s own outlook, drawing her away from screen-based design work toward hands-on creation. She described the studio as a space that encourages experimentation and values learning through making.
Today, Threadapeutic stands as both an artistic platform and a shared narrative of resilience, creativity and intergenerational collaboration, stitching together sustainability and personal history into contemporary textile art.
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