This work departs from a one-year exploration of a building space in Bali inhabited by about two hundred families - the majority of whom work as homeworkers for foreign entrepreneurs. Unlike factory workers, they work from home: sewing, printing, or assembling from the kitchen, terrace, or bedroom. Working with no formal contract, no health insurance, and no substitute for utilities, they are paid per output. The boundaries between personal space and production space are blurred, merging into the almost timeless rhythm of work.

This work extends previous research on homeworkers, now in the context of the proliferation of fashion and lifestyle industries wrapped in 'ethical', 'local' and 'sustainable' narratives. In this landscape, terms such as 'artisan', 'collaboration' and 'empowerment' have become marketing tools - polishing stories of 'empowered' women and 'engaged' local communities.

But this work invites us into the gray spaces: between the bodies that print, the results that are printed, and the constraints of life that shape them. Listening to voices that are rarely heard. Doubting narratives that are too sweet. Because behind every label and slogan, there are real times, bodies, and lives that are not visible from the storefronts of global products that supposedly uphold noble values.


Thanks to Ridho, Ipeh, Moh, Mus, Lala, Amal, Andhita, Nalani, Enka, Widi, Fredy, Kenny