Art Workshop FAQ's!

Workshop FAQ

I’m confused about which workshop to do...

• I want to carve an image and print on fabric! Join Heritage Fabric Printing (4 hours).
• I want to carve an image and print on paper! Join Heritage Linocut Printing on Paper (4 hours).
• No time to carve a block? Use pre-made blocks and join Express Linocut Printing (2 hours) to make art prints on paper.
• No time to carve a block? Use pre-made blocks and join Express Fabric Printing (2 hours) to make prints on fabric.

What is Block Printing?

Block printing is a technique where you use a block made of linoleum, rubber, metal or wood to stamp a pattern with ink onto material, paper or any other suitable horizontal surface. As the block is held in the hand, it is usually of a considerable thickness for better grip. You can buy decorative pre-carved blocks, or carve your own design in a rubber blocks to create truly customised patterns. It’s a fun and quick way to make large work, especially for fabric!

What is Linocut Printing?

Linocut is another way to print and uses a large metal press of hand-held baren to transfer the inked surface of the linoleum or rubber block onto paper. I use only a new rubber type linoleum that is easy to carve - none of that dangerous old-skool linoleum! You can make a multiple coloured print by creating several blocks and assigning a certain colour for each part of the image. My beginner classes focus on creating a single block and learning the techniques of image transfer, carving with specialist tools, and the tricks of printing without creating a mess!

Can I wash my fabric?

Definitely! We use special textile inks on that become colour-fast once heat is applied. It’s advisable that you use an old handkerchief between the paint surface and your iron, and make sure that the iron is set to a high dry heat.

Can I keep my block?

Of course! The great thing about carving your own block is that you can use it for so many other projects. Print on greeting cards, envelopes, bookmarks, wrapping paper, placemats and cushions. Or print on a t-shirt and wear it around - I do!

Are your workshops monthly?

My workshops are seasonal so it depends on my exhibition and travel commitments. I limit participant numbers because I like to give each student lots of attention so they can pick up as many skills as possible.

How do I book?

All my workshop are on my website. I accept online payments and will respond with details such as location after your booking is made. See upcoming workshops! 

What is the CMIO model in Singapore?

Some foreign residents to Singapore might be surprised when they are asked to state their race on official documents. For many, the idea of ticking a box to determine their ethnicity is strange and wonder why nationality is not enough for official records. Singapore currently uses a system of racial categorisation when it comes to the government housing system and probably in other areas not publicised.  I know from personal experience that this Chinese-Malaysian-Indian-Other model dictates the ethnic quota for persons buying a government flat. 

Unique use of flags in Toa Payoh! 

When I bought my HDB in Toa Payoh two years ago, we noticed terms like 'Chinese quota filled' and 'all races welcome'. Luckily for us, my husband and I had decided to state 'Eurasian' on our identification cards. I'm not sure how I feel about this term as it's a bit vague but that's another story! Also, my mother taught me at a young age that 'Eurasian' in a Singapore or Indonesian context traditionally mean something else - see the Eurasian Association's website for more details! And once you've done with the academic stuff, have some sugee cake...yum!

Check out Quentin's Eurasian restaurant for Sugee cake and other delicacies! 

But I digress, sorry. So when our agent told us that the flat we were interested could be bought by 'Others', we were relieved. Because there are so many Chinese living in Toa Payoh, the 'Chinese' quota for our building had already been filled, meaning that only non-Chinese were allowed to buy the flat. In fact, had we followed traditional Chinese thinking, my husband and I should have both written 'Chinese' on our ID card as our fathers are of Chinese descent. 

My husband and I both have Chinese fathers - and redhead genes possibly on both sides! 

I was recently asked to give my views on issues related to the CMIO categories at a discussion initiated by Singapore University of Technology and Design on mixed marriages and parenting in Singapore. It was interesting to be with a roomful of mixed race parents and hear about their diverse experiences growing up in terms of language, culture and education. The debate about whether this model suits modern Singapore will no doubt continue with business leaders such as Ho Kwon Ping saying that, "The CMIO model ... has helped to create common ground among those of different tongues and dialects, but it also has had the effect of oversimplifying the diversity that is our social mix. How we define people often shapes how they behave, so the less we pigeonhole people, the more chances we have for a cohesive diversity." The CMIO model has worked in many ways, and it will be interesting to see what changes will be made to it in the future. 

Peranakan Printing Takes Over Toa Payoh Library!

I was invited to teach linocut printing to senior members of the community last month as part of Silver Arts Festival 2016. It was a privilege to be with different member of the community and watch as they got the hang of transferring their designs, carving and printing. Many were first-timers to taking an art class, and we had a really enjoyable afternoon together. 

If you missed out this time, join my other workshops or subscribe to my monthly newsletter for future events. 

What is the Hungry Ghost Festival?

Singapore in August can be an eerie place with the sound of wailing and wisps of smoke filling the nighttime sky. The arrival of the Hungry Ghost Festival is marked by various rites and rituals as believers of Buddhism and Taoism welcome visitors from the spirit world. For about one month, pedestrians must dodge candles lining the footpath and random plates of food on the ground as followers make elaborate offerings of food, paper money and entertainment to the departed.

A joss table with small cups of wine and tea. Three sticks of incense must be lit when making prayers. 

The festival is celebrated by Buddhists as a time to comfort and remember deceased family members who have come back to ‘visit’. Taoists believe that during this time, ‘wandering spirits’ let out from the netherworld must be appeased and ‘fed’ so they do not cause trouble or misfortune. This inauspicious month has many superstitions still observed by some Chinese such as refraining from moving house, getting married and even swimming. In fact, some say that non-Chinese may even benefit from buying a house during this time due to less competition!

Performing to the crowds in the heat! 

This festival has made a great impression on me since I started living in a housing development estate in the older suburb of Toa Payoh. I’ve been amazed by the array of practices carried out around my neighborhood and keen to learn more. Last year, my daughter and I watched the Chinese opera troupes singing at a stage set up right outside my apartment building. We felt sorry for the performers as no-one seemed interested in listening to them despite their determined singing for hours in the heat. I hung around taking photos of preparations for some kind of party at the apartment block opposite but was too shy to ask any questions.

A banquet being prepared for those from afar! Note the special covers on the chairs just in case you thought about sitting down. 

It seems that my ‘kaypo’ (sticky beak) presence was noticed by locals and this year I was honoured to get two invites to attend the same block party! One was from ‘Ah Pong’, a friendly neighbour who works at the nearby mini-mart and is the neighborhood beacon for intelligence and gossip. I’m only assuming this as I’ve yet to actually exchange more than a few sentences with her in Mandarin. I attempt to chat with Ah Pong at least twice a day when I pass by her shop on the way to childcare. She’s always got health advice for me and biscuits for my kids and I feel lonely during the day if I can’t hear her booming voice from the sixth floor of my apartment! I also got an invite from an Indian Singaporean ‘brother’, who is interestingly one of the few non-Chinese living here.

Ah Pong, the friendly auntie who works 14-hour days at the local mini-mart. She's not shy to shoo unwanted people away from my kids or give me health advice - in Mandarin of course! 

I bought my ticket from Ah Pong’s shop despite feeling that $100 price was a bit steep. Over the next few days, I saw the large marquee erected and small shrines set up inside. A large number of red plastic buckets appeared outside Ah Pong's shop and were gradually filled with a variety of goodies. I was surprised to see very practical items including household staples such as oil, rice, biscuits and fruit. I then realised that the ticket price covered the banquet as well as enough basics to last quite a while.

Members from the Wayang Chinese theatre group praying at the set up shrine. 

On the morning, a Wayang Chinese opera troupe began their performances at the outdoor theatre. My two-year-old son didn’t think much of them but we stayed to watch for while. Like last year, there wasn’t a soul around (that we could see!) but the singers took their job very seriously and were there for several hours. Before the banquet started, they came over to the marquee and to pray at the shrines set up inside. I also saw a man chopping up piles of cold meat - I guess that it had been offered to the deceased in the afternoon and was then being cut up to give to guests. I was told to take a pack home and saw that it contained several kinds of cold meat.

Crab and roast pig! 

That evening, I brought along my children and sat with Ah Pong. Our table was at the back and it gave us a birds-eye view of staff preparing food on site. University students had also been hired to serve us and my children got an orange ‘moustache’ caused on the bright orange soft-drink!  We should have come starving as there was a lot of food and strongly urged to eat it all up! I hear that there are usually 8-10 courses and it seemed like at least that many.The food was very mild without any chilli and a lot like the banquet food I’ve had at Chinese weddings.

All sorts of fresh and dried offerings prepared on site. 

The cheerful announcers at the banquet used a mixture of Mandarin and Hokkien - none of which I understood but I got the general gist of things. A brisk auction got underway as ‘lucky’ items including a bunch of leeks, charcoal, a giant baked cake, whiskey and framed LED flashing pictures containing images of banknotes were sold off. Ah Pong urged me to get something by saying, ‘money buys money’ and that I could pay up next year! When it came time to announce the wine, the auctioneers suddenly announced in English that the wine was ‘made in New Zealand’! Apparently the money raised in the auction is used to subsidise the banquet for the following year and some also given to charity.

Red bean sweet, bananas, pineapples and grapes among many sweet offerings. 

We really enjoyed the atmosphere and it was nice to feel part of the community despite not understanding much. My direct neighbours looked amused to hear that we had attended the party as I told them of my experiences. When I chatted to a Peranakan neighbour with an English education, he commented that he didn’t partake in such ‘Chinese’ things. A nearby Chinese shopkeeper who runs a soybean stall and is a ‘freethinker’ (this is Singaporean for atheist or non-domination) said that he had never even been to such an event. It’s fascinating to hear about the individual differences between Singapore Chinese themselves towards various customs. As an outsider, I must admit that rituals I didn’t grow up with always seem more interesting than those back home - and my family is certainly always learning something in this established nook of old-time Singapore! 

Get a glimpse of 'lucky' objects being auctioned off during a banquet dinner held under a public housing complex during the Hungry Ghost Festival in Singapore. 

---

subscribe to creativity & culture

Like my facebook page

Printing on a High - National Gallery Rooftop Studio Workshop

Teaching art in Singapore was a particularly amazing experience recently during my linocut workshop at National Gallery Singapore. The gallery's rooftop studio was the scene of much carving, printing and laughter as students learnt basic linocut printing. I was delighted to be invited to create a series of images inspired by architecture features of the two national monuments that form Singapore's largest art museum. Students created an amazing variety of prints and I love how many shared blocks and inks - spontaneous artistic collaboration! 

Missed out? Like my Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date with workshops and events! 

Linocut Printing - Combined Paper and Fabric Workshop

Printing your own fabrics and stationery is such fun - and it was great to recently combine two workshops so that students could get an insight into each technique. The same 'linocut train' takes all the students to the transfer, tracing and carving stops. Then there are two tracks - one for printing on fabric and one for printing on paper. Same, same but different as some might say!

The good thing about the type of lino we use is that it can work with both paper ink and fabric ink. It's nice to know that students who print on fabric this time might be sending friends some handmade cards in the same design next time! My new stationery set with greeting cards, envelopes and wrapping paper comes with instructions and an envelope template - great for putting your own touch on presents! 

Being creative with other like-minded people is something I really enjoy about my workshops. It's relaxing to make things on your own, but sometimes a studio environment is just what you need to being out the (efficient!) artist in you. It's also lovely to see students making new friends as well as enjoying time with friends that they bring along. 

Heritage tiles are the inspiration for many of the designs we use in my workshops. It's one thing to admire the beautiful designs (beneath your feet!) but it's another to take the time out to carve and create these designs. The process of mixing colours and working out patterns really makes these architectural features 'yours' in my view. To think you can take incorporate a little of Singapore in something you make is special. Try your hand at a unique art workshop by subscribing to my newsletter or check out upcoming workshops! 

Creative Corporates - Team Building Workshops & Printing events

Team bonding! As a former corporate warrior (in Japan!), I know how important it is to be able to work with people of different nationalities and backgrounds. It's vital to allow colleagues to develop stronger bonds  - outside the office kitchen! I love seeing how art can help people to get to know each other in a relaxed and creative environment. 

Art workshops can also be a feature at events. I was recently invited to host a Peranakan tile inspired printmaking session for a media launch at Hotel Indigo Katong, a new boutique hotel in Singapore. Members of the press used linocut blocks that I custom-made based on designer tiles at the hotel. As you can see from the photos, the event was a lot of fun! 

Contact me to learn more about my tailored art workshops for companies.  

Team Bonding, Corporate Events, Team Building, Art Workshops

Sarong Kebaya Exhibition in Tokyo （日英文）

Singapore, Sarong Kebaya and Style: Peranakan Fashion in an Interconnected World

The Shoto Museum in Tokyo is to launch an exhibition curated by Singapore author and collector Peter Lee and the Asian Civilisation's Museum from July 26th to September 25th, 2016. See more details in English. 

Eustacia Tan also has some great photos of this show on her blog.

サロンクバヤ：シンガポール　麗しのスタイル　

つながりあう世界のプラナカン・ファッション

2016年7月26日（火）〜2016年9月25日（日）

18世紀から20世紀にかけてのシンガポールのプラナカン（中国やインド系移民の子孫）の女性用民族衣装「サロンクバヤ」やジュエリー、ビーズのサンダルなど約140点を展示し、ファッションという視点から、シンガポール文化の重層性や日本との関わりを読み解きます。本展は2016年の日本・シンガポール外交関係樹立50周年を記念して開催するもので、シンガポール国立アジア文明博物館とプラナカンの名家であるリー家のコレクションを中心に紹介します。

ワークショップ「華麗なるプラナカンビーズ刺繍で小物づくり」、館内のツアーもあります。

Peranakan Beadwork: Heritage Art, a talk by Bebe Seet

[Go-Stun] Peranakan Beadwork: Heritage Art, a talk by Bebe Seet

Date:Saturday Jul 30, 2016

Time:02:00 PM - 03:30 PM

Venue:Imagine in library@orchard

Lang: English

Note: Registration is closed.

The ‘kasut manek’ or beaded slippers which is the creation of the nyonya’s hands, is a material link to the past, becoming in itself a visible symbol of the Peranakan’s proud ancestry. Documentation on beadwork is scarce, but researches on old beadworks provide some history on beading techniques, materials and designs. This talk revives the dying art form of Peranakan beading, and tells of its continuation today as historical artefact and a craft activity. 

- About the Speaker - 

Bebe Seet founded Rumah Bebe in 1995, after she was spurred to learn about the Peranakan art of beading slippers when she could not find herself a pair of antique ‘kasut manek’ (Malay for ‘beaded shoes’) traditionally worn by Peranakan women. Bebe’s first teacher was the mother of a friend. After the elderly lady’s death, Bebe made further progress with aid of research into the history of ‘nyonya’ (female Peranakan) beading. She began giving classes to share the joy and passion of the craft, and from there expanded into independent retail of beaded items and other related Peranakan heritage products. Rumah Bebe is currently housed in a 1928 shophouse in Katong, which opened in a new location with the visit from delegates of the 2003 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Convention, an event supported by the Singapore Tourism Board. 

- About the Series - 

‘Go-Stun: Heritage Artefacts’ – talks organised in collaboration with the Friends of the Museums. 

The Friends of the Museums return to the libraries again in July 2016. This time, we welcome local cultural advocates to tell us about heritage artefacts that underlie the region’s rich diversity. Head back in time, while keeping a view ahead for the contemporary potential of vanishing art forms and trades. 

- About ‘Go-Stun’ - 

‘Go-Stun – Amazing Stories to Live By’ is a curated series of programmes happening at the Public Libraries and beyond, targeted at bridging youths to the cultures and heritage of Singapore. Go-Stun workshops, talks, performances and walking tours intend to revisit the past, evoke nostalgia, commemorate iconic places, and unite personal memories with shared experiences. 

--- 

For further information about Go-Stun and other arts programmes at the Public Libraries Singapore, please email arts@nlb.gov.sg.

「プラナカン展」〜マレーシアとシンガポールのババ・ニョニャ〜

「プラナカン」とは、15世紀後半からマレーシアやシンガポールにやってきた、中国系移民の子孫のこと。中国、マレー、そしてヨーロッパの文化をミックスさせた、独自の華麗な生活スタイルを築きました。プラナカン男性はババ、女性はニョニャと呼ばれます。

 プラナカン文化は、建築、ファッション、料理まで、生活の様々な場面で見ることができます。写真や雑貨の展示、セミナー、ワークショップを通じて彼らの洗練された美しい文化をご紹介する特別なイベントです。目を見張る華やかな歴史とデザインをお楽しみください。

       【日時】　2016年8月

       【場所】　日本アセアンセンター　アセアンホール　（アクセス）

       【入場】  無料　（※セミナー・ワークショップは事前登録要 ）
　　　  申込サイトよりご登録ください

       【主催】  国際機関 日本アセアンセンター

Chinese Batik Talk by Peter Lee

[GO-STUN] CHINESE BATIK MAKERS OF JAVA, A TALK BY PETER LEE

DATE:  16 July 2016 (Sat)
TIME:  2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
VENUE:    library@orchard, Imagine
TICKETING:  Free admission

This talk follows the fascinating trail of Chinese batik production and trade in Southeast Asia, from its tentative beginnings in the eighteenth century to its dynamism in the twentieth century. Admission is free and open to all ages. No registration is required.

‘Go-Stun – Amazing Stories to Live By’ is a curated series of programmes happening at the Public Libraries and beyond, targeted at bridging youths to the cultures and heritage of Singapore. Go-Stun workshops, talks, performances and walking tours intend to revisit the past, evoke nostalgia, commemorate iconic places, and unite personal memories with shared experiences.

Find out more @ www.nlb.gov.sg/golibrary
 

New Beadwork & Embroidery Show at Peranakan Museum

Nyonya Needlework - Embroidery and Beadwork in the Peranakan World

This fantastic exhibition is currently on at the Peranakan Museum in Singapore. It showcases an exquisite range of beadwork and needlework mainly from the late 19th and early 20th century. I was extremely impressed with the intricate and delicate exhibits that must have commanded amazing patience and attention to detail to produce. Don't forget that young Nyonya ladies were at the time judged by matchmakers and prospective families on their beading and cooking abilities! 

Located near City Hall or Bras Basah MRT stations on Armenian Street, the gallery is a former school built in the 'Eclectic Classical' style and is over a hundred years old. It's often called a 'boutique' museum and perfect for enjoying a guided tour led by friendly volunteer docents. See museum details.  

Where to Learn Peranakan Beadwork in Singapore

Raymond and I catching up on some chit-chat over his unique blue tea...

Kim Choo Kueh Chang

Raymond Wong teaches beadwork classes where you can learn to make your own kasut manek beaded slippers, purse or other items at his shophouse along East Coast Road. See their website for details. 

Little Shophouse

Craftsman Robert Sng runs this cute boutique near Arab Street and offers classes in beadwork. See also their Facebook page.
Address: 43 Bussorah St, Ph: 6295 2328

Peranakan Culture on Video

Some recent videos I found on Youtube describing Peranakan culture - enjoy! 

How to Destress Through Art

After years as a translator in the Japanese corporate world, I think I know what it's like to feel stressed at work! That's why I love to help my students feel relaxed and inspired in my art workshops. 

Preparing for the morning's workshop!

Powerpoint presentations, endless emails and unrealistic deadlines (and for Japanese workers....'humble' language and 'respectful' language where verb endings change completely) can seem a world away once art calls your attention. 

Getting started with transferring our favourite images! 

I work hard to make sure my workshops are fun and have very achievable goals. But in order to achieve these, participants quickly find that the mini targets ahead of them require a kind of quiet focus. 

From one little block...

When their hands are busy, there's no way my students can be making calls or checking their messages! In fact, often there's barely enough time to take admiring photographs of the process. 

You get this great print! 

I choose background music that is lively but not energy draining. I sprinkle some essential oils around and I make sure my home studio is uncluttered and inviting. Hence more excuses to buy decorative batik textiles to scatter around...

Different colour and different placement! 

I encourage my students to take a good break between carving and printing. I'm not joking when I say they need to up their blood sugar levels ahead of power printing! 

Ready to print! 

Getting ready for printing is like giving a concert - a lot of things are put in place before you even appear on stage. In fact, most of the preparation is done long before the class even starts!

And here's the first print in hot pink - love it! 

Knowing your destination - clearing a space for your freshly printed images, lining up all your tools, having your paper ready at hand. These somewhat boring considerations are all essential once you get printing. But it's these points that help my students feel confident and calm. 

And now we'll add another colour! 

It's great when participants have fun mixing up colours and trying new things! Everyone is so different. Some people have a very clear idea of their goal and others just work it out as they go along. 

Lovely turquoise colour. 

Unexpected lines, wonky alignment, a few finger prints...that's the nature of the handmade print. Perhaps it shows how much we have become accustomed to perfectly Photoshopped images! 

Coloured centre - a totally different look! 

Since I started teaching, it's increasingly obvious that art has benefits beyond just creating beautiful pictures. I'm so glad when people have the courage to explore this often neglected part of themselves. And I feel inspired when I see my students doing new things that I hadn't thought of. To teach is to learn! 

Happy to hear that this participant had an enjoyable session! 

Physical health, mental health - taking the time out to explore your creative side is also a great way to make new friends, learn new skills and find out something about yourself! 

Peranakan Sarong Kebaya Finds New Home in Japan

Over 50 vintage garments and textiles from the collection of prominent Singapore Peranakan figure Lee Kip Lee have found a new home and admirers in Japan. It's wonderful to hear that the Peranakan Association of Singapore Honorary Life President, Baba Lee Kip Lee has donated so many antique kebaya and sarong to Fukuoka Art Museum!

Courtesy of the Straits Times. 

I'm also very excited to hear about the opening of a new travelling exhibition ‪'Singapore, Sarong Kebaya and Style: Peranakan Fashion in an Interconnected World'. The show will feature many items from Mr. Lee's collection and is organised by Mr Lee's son Peter, a Peranakan culture scholar and author of 'Sarong Kebaya: Peranakan Fashion in an Interconnected World 1500- 1950'. 

Fukuoka Art Museum will host the show from 17 April to 12 June 2016 before it moves to Shoto Museum of Art in Tokyo in July. 

Excuse the 'professional' photo but I'm wearing one of my favourite polka-dot sarongs from Kiah's Gallery. Learn about this great shop and others in my blog post 'Where to Buy Nyonya Sarong Kebaya in Singapore'! 

My Local Temple - End of an Era?

A temple stuck right in the middle of a public housing complex is not something you often see but the Poh Chung Tian Chor Sian Tong temple in Toa Payoh certainly stands out. Located at Lorong 6, I finally visited this temple after seeing it from my local bus for the last two years. 

Sandwiched between public housing apartments! 

The plaque on the temple stairs says the temple was built in 2005. However, many of the items inside the temple including the furniture, statues and textiles seem to be very old.  

My little assistant. 

I asked the temple caretaker if the temple had been purposely built to house an older one, or if several older temples had been amalgamated there as in the case of other temples in Toa Payoh. But he wasn’t familiar with the history of the temple and told me to look on the internet!  

However, he did tell me that interest in the temple is dwindling and that it’s difficult to generate any income as the temple is not allowed to 'sell' anything. I noticed a donation box set up to collect funds to help the temple extend its lease, which is due for renewal in the near future.

A cloth dragon and lion dog having a much-deserved rest! 

I saw a cloth dragon on poles and a lion head used for Chinese New Year dances stored at the side of the temple. A sign for the Singapore Siau Tiong San Athletic Association was hung up at the front at the temple's office. I guess that such performances help to generate income for the temple as shops and businesses usually pay for the dance to be held at their premises.

This joss paper burner looks old to me..brought in from somewhere else? 

When I asked the caretaker about festivals held there, he said that the temple only celebrates the Moon Festival in August, and Chinese New Year. The place was certainly deserted on a Sunday afternoon but we enjoyed seeing the large number of different gods and statues inside and around the temple.

Strange looking guardian tortoise? 

I also saw an old narrow bookshelf with lots of small slips of fortune-telling papers. From my experience, I know that you usually shake a canister with long sticks and tip out a stick. According to the number on the end of the stick, you are allocated a paper that describes your luck in all aspects of your life. I asked if people still request this service, but he said that no-one was interested anymore.

This is the kind of 'spiked ball' that I saw at the temple. Courtesy of this blog. 

We took our time looking at the small but impressive collection of statues, ceremonial swords and symbolic fighting devices displayed at the altar. I was surprised to see many small heads of gods on sticks and various Buddhist symbolic fighting devices. It took a long time but I managed to find a photo of  a spiked instrument similar to the one I saw. 

On a lighter note, my children were amused by carrot offerings laid out for the stone horses at the front of the temple. The kids were also tempted to crawl inside the grotto-like cave to the side, which was filled with unusual looking statues and the usual sweet offerings. A perfect cubby house! 

This temple is certainly in an interesting corner of Toa Payoh, and I hope it somehow manages to stay. As I haven't been able to find any more information on this temple, I'd love to hear from anyone who can help! 

National Gallery Singapore

National Gallery Singapore has many interesting architectural elements and links to history. Opened in late 2015, the gallery spans the City Hall and the former Supreme Court. These classical buildings have features including Corinthian columns, a central rotunda with a dome and marble tiles. 

Linocut printing - peranakan style

'I took this workshop because of my interest in things Peranakan and also to learn a new craft/skill. I would recommend this workshop as it’s a good starting point in learning the craft.' - Jenny Ng, Singapore

Some new designs got a work-out in my recent Peranakan Lino Workshop. It was interesting trying out various colour and pattern combinations. It's always a thrill seeing how each student's unique carving and printing style produces amazingly different prints.  

I love using these heritage floor tile designs and I've begun to group them into categories. Some types are circular with a kind of flower centre. These can create really beautiful and striking designs, especially when printed on a large scale. The same tile can be printed by spinning it around the other way - resulting in a totally different looking image! 

I'm looking forward to our next workshop - check out the dates here! I hope to make it as enjoyable as it was for this workshop's students. Thanks for the nice review!