The child of an artistic mother, she wanted to learn more about beadwork. “It was very beautiful,” Poli explained with a grin.

As a Kadazan with a Dusun-Tatana mother and growing up in Borneo, she was no stranger to traditional handicrafts. But the insight that learning beadwork skills gave her into her husband’s culture brought the couple closer together.

Thus, when she lost her job during the Covid-19 pandemic, it seemed a good opportunity to start her own business.

She launched the Mosongon Collection, a line of local cultural beadwork and handcrafted jewellery. “We opened once, maybe twice before the next MCO came,” she said, laughing.

When her Instagram page was launched, the feedback was good, but mostly from Sabahans. “I would like all the people of Malaysia to take pride in the beadwork of Borneo.”

She told FMT that her desire to share her culture with everyone is why she chose the name Mosongon, which means ‘beautiful’ in the Dusun-Tatana language. She said it felt like the perfect name for a business with the mission to celebrate the beauty of Borneo culture while reframing it for the modern Malaysian.

Poli said her deep appreciation for her mixed cultural heritage goes beyond the traditional boundaries that many impose on their heritage.

She explained that even in Borneo, people limit the wearing of beadwork accessories for formal or traditional ceremonies. “I improvise the design so that people will wear it daily,” she said.

This desire to modernise the wearability of traditional jewellery has resulted in fascinating belts and lanyards with beadwork.

She loves the idea of adding one of her colourful pieces to a simple outfit and elevating the look to one that is both professional and beautiful. She even made a one-of-a-kind beadwork necklace based on an artist friends’ non-fungible token (NFT).

Her designs are unisex but to appeal to a range of tastes, she also makes necklaces and bracelets with jigsaw puzzle pieces and butterflies as well as with cultural elements.

She and her mother, Hani Balqish designed a large bib necklace that many people love to wear and be photographed with for social media.

Hani has immense pride in her daughter’s efforts to share their culture with others in Malaysia. She said that is what prompted her to leave Sabah and settle down in Kuala Lumpur with her daughter. Together, they have been adding more pieces to their line.

Each piece can take anywhere from two days to a week to complete depending on the complexity of the design. But, for Hani, the joy of working with her daughter and the importance of preserving their heritage makes the long hours and tired eyes worth the effort.

Besides selling their handiwork online, the duo also set up booths at weekend markets in malls like Publika and Tropicana Gardens Mall as having a physical presence has helped them reach a wider variety of consumers.

Poli explained, “We want people to see and recognise this as Borneo culture and also Malaysian culture. We want them to enjoy the pieces.”

Check out the new pieces in the Mosongon Collection as well as where their next booth will be set up on Instagram.