JOHN ANG
Textile Collector, Researcher and Founder, Samyama
John Ang, a passionate collector and appraiser of Asian heritage artifacts, has devoted his life to the research and curation of Malay textiles. Ang's journey into the world of textiles began after he received his degree and master's in Asian Art History at the University of Michigan. His fascination with textiles led him to become an art journalist in Japan before moving to Taipei, where he established a gallery specializing in historical Asian artifacts.
For the past 28 years, Ang served as the gallery director, continuing his prolific writing career by contributing to established art magazines in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States. He also organized exhibitions on Asian art in these regions and mounted shows in Malaysia. One notable exhibition was on Malay Kelingkan embroidery at the Terengganu State Museum.
In July of 2023, Ang showcased his own collection of 650 Malay textiles, which he had amassed over the past eight years. The exhibition, titled 'Splendours of the Malay World Textiles,' provided visitors with a rare opportunity to appreciate the full range of Malay fabrics. This was also the biggest textile exhibition ever held in Malaysia.
Currently, Ang is working on completing an encyclopedic book devoted to Malay textiles. His dedication to preserving and sharing knowledge about these textiles is evident through this ambitious project.