Kurungthepillar - Vogue Women by Women Global Shortlist
- Oct 2, 2025
- 1 min read
Updated: Mar 17
Niyat (Intentions)
Dhan Illiani Yusof
MALAYSIA
This photograph is part of the series ‘Niyat (Intentions)’.
Kurungpillar explores faith, textile, and the lived realities of Muslim women in Malaysia, using cultural and religious dress as a language of both visibility and concealment. Through baju kurung silhouettes and telekung-like forms, the work reveals the multiplicity of identities that exist beneath public narratives of modesty, femininity, and belief.
At its core, the piece echoes the spirit of Konfrontasi , a push and pull between identity and norm, where a figure stands alone against the pressures of tradition, spirituality, and social expectation. This confrontation becomes a surreal, contemplative space that invites viewers to reflect on what is seen, what is assumed, and what is quietly endured.
The work is also shaped by the artist’s neurodivergent perceptual world, a way of sensing that resists premature clarity or fixed meaning.
Kurungpillar becomes a place where ambiguity and emotional residue are allowed to remain uncollapsed, reflecting a cognitive rhythm that interprets reality through layers rather than conclusions.
In a cultural environment that often rushes to simplify the unfamiliar, the piece holds open a gentler space: one where the unknown is not threatening, where complexity is not a mistake, and where womanhood is not flattened into a single narrative. Kurungpillar is less about defining Muslim womanhood than expanding the room for its many forms, including the contradictions, uncertainties, and internal logics that rarely fit prescribed frames.
Part of the 150 Shortlist for Vogue's Women by Women Global Photo call.
I really enjoyed reading this post about Kurung: The Pillar and how it beautifully highlights the strength and grace of women through culture and fashion. It’s inspiring to see creativity being recognised on such a global platform like Vogue’s Women by Women list. The way this project connects tradition with modern empowerment really resonates — it reminds me that passion and persistence can break boundaries in any field. As someone balancing studies and creative interests, I often look for motivation in stories like this. When academic responsibilities pile up, I turn to Online Nursing Assignment Help from New Assignment Help, which gives me the time to focus on projects that truly matter to me. Reading about such accomplishments is both…
I loved reading your post about kurungthepillar and how it uses traditional dress to talk about identity and belief in such a deep way; the way you describe the layering of meaning really made me think about my own culture and what dress says without words. I once struggled with a stats project until I take my online Management class help and that support helped me see patterns just like the layers in your work. Your art makes me reflect on how complexity can be beautiful and human.