Singapore Heritage Tile Project
A rare Belgium tile panel influenced by Art Nouveau
A unique story of design and devotion from Singapore
Discover flowers, fairies and farmyard animals captured in time! The Singapore Heritage Tile Project is a community initiative aimed at preserving rare decorative tiles. With a focus on Bukit Brown Cemetery, the project has so far (gently!) cleaned over hundreds of tiles and brought together people from all walks of life.
It takes a village! The succesful restoration of a 1913 tomb by members of the community.
As director of the project, I’ve had the honour to work with over 100 volunteers to date in a race to clean, document and photograph over 2,000 tiles. It’s been thrilling to find examples influenced by art movements including Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Some of the earliest tiles uncovered date back to 1905, and hail from countries including England, Belgium and Japan.
At the tile tomb of my Peranakan great-grandparents, Bukit Brown Cemetery
The diverse designs of these tiles illustrate Singapore’s cross-cultural DNA. Delicate depictions of fruits and blossoms, real and imaginary animals, and even dreamy landscapes of Japan reflect the rich mosaic of traditional Chinese beliefs, foreign influences and local design aesthetics.
With Ah Beng Soh, a cemetery caretaker and my right-hand man
Learn more about these tile treasures through my regular Tile Talk updates
Please consider sharing my project with your friends via Facebook or Instagram. Thanks for helping me raise awareness of Bukit Brown Cemetery for future generations to enjoy.
Jennifer Lim
Singapore Heritage Tile Project Director
An educational and cultural space for our future
How can you support the project?
calendar
Enjoy the beauty of the past on your walls - all year round! See 2021 Heritage Tile Calendar
book
It’s an honour to share the journey that these tiles have taken me. In late 2021, I’m aiming to release my self-published book, ‘An International Mosaic of Love’. I’ll be revealing the many amazing findings made at Singapore’s best ‘outdoor museum’. Read about my discovery of design and devotion in An International Mosaic of Love. Preorders available now
Press
Read more about the project in newspapers, magazines and video documentaries!
be a part of The project
Enjoy a unique exploration of beautiful ceramic gems. Singapore Tile Tidy Sessions are a great chance to contribute to a growing awareness of heritage by cleaning up abandoned tombs. The sessions are conducted with various groups, including Friends of the Museums Singapore. For details on upcoming sessions, visit us on Facebook
Jennifer Lim, Director
As an Australian of Singaporean heritage, I began researching my family tree after moving to Singapore in 2012. My journey into my father’s past was marked by the strong presence of decorative tiles on shophouses, temples and commemorative spaces linked to my ancestors. With my background in architecture, fine art and languages, I have been fascinated by the cross-cultural ties and diverse designs behind these ceramic artefacts. Learn more in exclusive project updates
At my Peranakan great-grandparents grave at Bukit Brown Cemetery, Singapore.
澳大利亚艺术家Jennifer Lim在一个独特的图书出版项目中，展现了新加坡的精美复古瓷砖。该项目展示了糅合中国传统文化、海外影响和本地特色的斑斓马赛克。
从Jennifer在宗乡会馆、庙宇和墓园发现的精美复古瓷砖上，您可以观赏到如中国龙、欧洲花卉和貌美的仙女等图案。
探索一个来自新加坡的关于美丽、传承和爱的引人入胜的国际故事。
发行日期为2020年末，现已提供预售特别优惠。
see beyond the shophouse
The beautiful patterned tiles seen on traditional shophouses in Singapore has deeply influenced my own artwork and art workshops over the years. However in early 2019, I started examining these ceramic surfaces in more depth after discovering new and unusual types. I was surprised to uncover an array of amazingly rich and ornate tiles far different from those commonly found on traditional shophouses.
Enjoy a patterned past
I’ll be sharing my findings in a full-colour book aimed at showcasing the social, cultural and historical value of these exquisite artefacts. A specially curated selection of over 200 export tiles will include transfer, relief and majolica types. Readers will delight in subject matter as diverse as dragons, farmyard animals, flowers and fairies in designs over a century old. Set for release in 2021.
Combination of low and high relief Japanese vintage tiles with full size, border and corner tiles.
Cleaning the abandoned tomb of young Eddie Chan Sin Chuan, who passed away in June 1942.
visit the project on Instagram
Visit the project on Facebook
tile tidy sessions
Our inaugural session to clean an abandoned tiled tomb at Bukit Brown Cemetery
Over 100 volunteers from all walks of life have been assisting me in cleaning vintage tiles at Greater Bukit Brown Cemetery Complex. Their dedication has allowed this project to showcase some of the nation's finest examples of tiles, and raise awareness of heritage.
Majolica tiles from a 1910 tomb on Lao Sua Cemetery
Comments from Volunteers
“Bringing back these beautiful tiles to life is simply fantastic!”
“It was a very fascinating & rewarding experience for me. I was raised thinking cemeteries are eerie & scary. Then I chanced upon Bukit Brown with a friend during a hike and been very intrigued by this place, so rich in history & heritage. And cleaning the tiles with you all was really a very good experience.”
“It was a privilege and pleasure to be part of your tile tidy up-such unexpected hidden treasures emerging from the vegetation. Thank you.”
“Even though I may not know the person and the stories behind the lovely tombstones and tiles, I find it a real joy to be able to help out together with Jennifer. My heart is filled with gladness to see the tombstones and tiles tidied up ready to once again to meet and welcome the world.”
“Creating a sanctuary and restoring dignity to ancestors whilst admiring the glorious artwork of the tiles and the wonder of nature .... a fantastic way to spend an early morning making friends. Thank you!”
Comments from Supporters
““I cannot wait to receive the Calendar and Book and have pre-ordered the Calendar and Book Combination Package to share them with my own family and Auntie in Singapore; and my parents-in-law in Melbourne, Australia. I hope that like me, they will be amazed by the enormous patience, time, dedication and hard work that has gone into creating this Calendar and Book which displays the exquisite and detailed Peranakan Tiles that The Brownies and you have lovingly cleaned to return them to their former beauty for all Singaporeans and the rest of the world to see and appreciate.””
See more comments on Facebook: Singapore Heritage Tile Project
blogs
A selection of blogs about my favourite things in Singapore, including articles about Peranakan culture. See my blog
Project locations: Bukit Brown cemetery
Learn more about Singapore’s history and heritage at Bukit Brown Cemetery - also a wonderful place for tile-spotting!
The Brownies: A volunteer community group hosting tours on a monthly basis when possible. See for details
Jane’s Tours: Singapore based and award-winning tour and travel company. See for details
Photo courtesy of Bianca Polak
get regular updates
Get exclusive updates about my exploration of Singapore’s decorative past.
Messages From project supporters
“Hi Jennifer - good on you for embarking on this new project of yours. You are giving back to your family and to SG in such a beautiful and loving way.”
“Thanks for your email, updating information on the Peranakan tiles. Interesting to know that you belong a well-known Peranakan family tree! Blessings be upon you, Jennifer, as you “unearth” more Peranakan culture and more history notes!”
“Thank you for the information about the Peranakan People and tile history. I so enjoy learning something new every day.”
Adding a touch a love to an unknown tomb at Bukit Brown Cemetery.
Supported by Singapore National Heritage Board
In pursuit of my passion project, I am constantly faced with funding challenges. I am grateful to have recently been awarded with a partial grant via the Singapore National Heritage Board. I am now striving to fund the remaining costs through pre-sales of my book and calendars, as well as through my art workshops and artworks. Your support will make a huge difference and allow me to fully focus on writing my book. See my Pre-order Campaign
