Diversity in Peranakan culture with IKAT

 

When I received the invite to the Media Preview for IKAT 2.0 headlined with a question, “Do we really know what Peranakan means?” I recalled a recent encounter with college student who blinked in ignorance when I mentioned the same word, Peranakan.

 

Batik artists, Darus Idris [Right] and Tipah Jusoh

Needless to say, I was shocked and disappointed that a Malaysian college student in the 21^st Century was so oblivious to such a prevalent culture in our community.

 

Eager to find out what more IKAT 2.0 will reveal, I did not hesitate to accept their invitation to preview, Echoes of C0lour, held in Johor Bahru from October 17 to 20.

 

I also shared info on Echoes of Colour with college lecturers so that they may encourage their students to visit this pop-up cultural hub to enjoy interactive installations, meet the artisans, observe live demonstrations and join the talks and workshops for a hands-on experience.

 

Batik Painting using hot wax
flowing from a canting

At the word Peranakan, our thoughts may instantly go to the Baba Nyonya, a Straits-Born culture which started in the former Straits Settlements of Melaka, Penang and Singapore. We may be familiar with the Baba Nyonya Peranakan, a community where the men are referred to as Baba while the women are called, Nyonya.

 

While we are not wrong, the term Peranakan simply means, “locally born” and refers to the descendants of immigrants who arrived at the Malay Archipelago and were assimilated into the local culture while they still honour their ancestral traditions.

 

While the Baba Nyonya community may be the most recognized among the Peranakan in Malaysia, the Chetti Peranakan and Jawi Peranakan communities are also very much part of our intricate and harmonious, multi-cultural identity.

 

A visitor interacting with the motifs inside
the Immersive Pavilion

The Chetti Peranakan originated from Indian traders who married local women and created a community with a unique fusion of Hindu and local traditions.

 

Meanwhile, the Jawi Peranakan is a community where Indian Muslim traders married local women and still maintains a distinct Islamic cultural identity.

 

While a great deal of well-researched publications is available on the Baba Nyonya Peranakan – and are often considered as the only Peranakan community here – the Chetti Peranakan and Jawi Peranakan communities form an important and integral part of our rich Malaysian Peranakan heritage.

 

Joshua D. Louis demonstrating the
art of Mirror Embroidery

Each of these communities have their own proud Peranakan heritage in their unique languages, food, tableware, architecture, customs and traditions and even costumes, colours and accessories.

 

This Immersive Knowledge and Textile or IKAT event, seeks to reinvigorate public engagement and deepen Malaysians’ appreciation for heritage textiles.

 

The IKAT 2.0 is a series of pop-up experiential hubs that kicked off in January 2024 in Kuala Lumpur and travelled to Penang in April 2024.

 

Its final instalment held in Johor Bahru in October featured the Peranakan theme with immersive experiences in collaboration with textile artisans, curators and experts.

 

Echoes of Colours was curated by Baba Kenny Loh, an award-winning fashion designer and prominent figure in the preservation and innovation of Peranakan Baba Nyonya culture.

 

Demo on the art of transferring a template
design onto fabric using Clay Batik techniques

This event brought together vibrant Peranakan crafts, jewellery and textile arts, that visitors may not only appreciate the beauty of the Peranakan communities but also understand how diverse cultures can coexist and complement each another while retaining their unique identities.

 

Spearheaded by creative technology studio Experiential Design Team (EDT) and presented by Yayasan Hasanah, the IKAT 2.0 Johor Edition allowed visitors to embark on an immersive journey through curated textile-related activities.

 

The experiential hub celebrated the rich heritage and vibrant aesthetics of Peranakan communities, directing our attention to the unique yet harmonious fusion of ethnic identities that reflect Malaysia’s rich history of trade, migration and cultural integration.

 

Baba Kenny Loh demonstrating the intricate
art of sewing beads into meticulous designs 
for the Beaded Shoes or Kasut Manik

At the Echoes of Colours preview, we were invited to step into the Immersive Pavilion, a gallery that blends tradition and modernity by using interactive tile-like formations, symbols and colours on its walls, floor and ceiling.

 

As we engaged with this space, this experience highlighted the rich diversity of Baba Nyonya, Chetti Peranakan and Jawi Peranakan cultures for a deeper understanding of our nation’s shared heritage.

 

We were introduced to the esteemed artisans who demonstrated their skills and provided valuable insights into traditional crafts. After their demonstration, we were invited to participate in a hands-on experience to create our own pieces of art.

 

A pair of Beaded Shoes by
Kenny Loh Couture 

Meeting these artisans at this event sent me on a flashback to 2008 when I went on an exciting two-day Southern craft trail organized by Kraftangan Malaysia under the Ministry of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage.

 

This Southern craft trail experience reminded me that our heritage has a blend of rich traditions with Middle-Eastern, Javanese, Malay and Chinese influences.

 

What was more delightful for me on this craft trail was meeting with a Baba craftsman skilled in making Malay wooden tops and a Malay woman skilled in sewing beaded shoes, a tradition typical of the Nyonya.

 

So at IKAT, it was refreshing to meet with Songket weaver, Hasmah Yasmin, the husband and wife team of Batik artists, Darus Idris and Tipah Jusoh, who are skilled in canting and block printing on fabrics, as well as Khatijah Muhamad, whose fabric designs are made using Clay Batik techniques.

 

It was a pleasure to see the award-winning designs by Baba Kenny Loh and admire his skills and commitment in preserving the Baba Nyonya culture through his designs in fabrics for kebaya and on beaded shoes and slippers.

 

Songket weaver, Hasmah Yasmin, in action

When we were introduced to Joshua D. Louis, he demonstrated his techniques in mirror embroidery, an embroidery skill that he acquired from master craftsmen in Chennai, India.

 

A collection of unique designs in Peranakan jewellery are in the HARTA Heritage Jewellery Museum, Kuala Lumpur, which IKAT brought to visitors in this event through a Virtual Reality (VR) experience.

 

We were then invited to virtually step into this Museum for a visit to admire the jewellery designs that were inspired by flora like peonies and roses, fauna like butterflies and dragonflies and mythological creatures like phoenix and dragons.

 

Curators and artisans at
IKAT 2.0 Echoes of Colours in Johor Bahru

Our time together at IKAT continued with engaging discussions with prominent figures in the Peranakan community like Baba Kenny Loh and Baba Cedric Tan, who shared their experience and expertise in the Nyonya Kebaya and Kasut Manik or beaded shoes.

 

The IKAT 2.0 Johor Edition was made possible in partnership with Yayasan Warisan Johor, Kenny Loh Couture, Filamen, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, HARTA, Lunartic and RUBIX Communications.

 

For further information about IKAT 2.0, visit https://ikatmalaysia.com/ or follow their social platforms on Instagram, @IKATMalaysia.

Note: Photos are my own while others are used courtesy of IKATMalaysia.