The Aesthetic Perception of Pua Kumbu Textile: A Holistic Exploration

Abstract

Experiencing art is a complex phenomenon to grasp. The difficulty in comprehending the Pua Kumbu textile relates to several factors influencing participants' aesthetic perception, such as art knowledge, gender, and cultural background. Individuals with all these factors can better comprehend the art piece's values. Thus, the purpose of this study is to use the ARS-Revised questionnaire to assess the aesthetic perception of 400 participants about the Pua Kumbu textiles based on their gender and background. The findings revealed that the participants' positive aesthetic perception of the Pua Kumbu textile was influenced by gender, background, and art knowledge. The aesthetic perceptions were received similarly based on gender, except for textile knowledge. Females, who exhibited more interest in creative arts, observed a greater aesthetic perception of the textile. Those from Sarawak, on the other hand, scored higher in factor 2 (textile knowledge) and could better relate to textile information (factor 3) than those from other backgrounds. Participants from Sabah demonstrated the lowest scores in both factors despite Sabah being situated in the same region as Sarawak, Borneo. The participant's gender and background significantly impact their knowledge of the Pua Kumbu textiles. Conclusively, the beauty of the Pua Kumbu lies in the eyes of the beholder, and those with art knowledge can perceive the textile more clearly with a more comprehensive understanding.