“Thoughtfulness begins with seeing. My job as a photographer is to make that seeing easier. What we appreciate and are fascinated by, we will also want to preserve.” – Mattias Klum 
 

Held in conjunction with Month of Photography Asia 2010, this exhibition by acclaimed National Geographic photographer Mattias Klum is a powerful and revealing testimony of the devastation of Borneo’s tropical rainforests, which are among the oldest and most biologically diverse in the world.
 
Forest-dwelling people, such as the Penan, have depended on Borneo’s rainforests for centuries to supply most of their needs in ways that do not threaten the integrity of these complex ecosystems. Today, the Penan way of life, and many native plant and animal species in Borneo, face increasing threats from deforestation.
 
Tebaran is a blowpipe hunter and one of the last nomadic Penan headmen, who is struggling to survive with his family in a world that is disappearing. Through the eyes of Tebaran, Klum takes us deep into the heart of Borneo where we experience the island’s diverse flora and fauna, and witness what could be at stake if the island’s majestic forests are lost forever.
 
Specialising in portraying and interpreting threatened environments, species, and cultures, Klum has dedicated over 20 years to exploring Borneo. On his longest expedition, he and his team carried around 1.3 tonnes of gear into the island’s interior, including camera and filmmaking equipment, solar panels for power, and a hot air balloon to provide aerial views of the forest. There, they worked from platforms 60 metres up in the tree canopies and hid in blinds on the forest floor to show this amazing forest in a new way.   
 

The Testament of Tebaran aims to raise awareness about traditional culture, biodiversity and forest loss in Borneo. The exhibition hopes to educate viewers on the positive difference we can make through our daily choices and also by supporting key conservation efforts.