Batik Nyonyas: Three Generations Of Art And Entrepreneurship
This 10-month exhibition on female batik masters charts the lives and careers of three visionary Peranakan women from Pekalongan, Indonesia.
Nonya Oeij Soen King was a pioneer in the 1890s as Pekalongan emerged as the leading batik-making centre. In the 1930s, her daughter-in-law Oeij Kok Sing became one of the top batik-makers and the only Indonesian artist who signed and date-stamped her batiks, while granddaughter Jane Hendromartono elevated batik to the realm of high fashion and established a successful export business in the 1980s.
Their story is told through about 200 objects, 60 of which are donated to Singapore’s National Collection by the Oeij family, produced between the 1890s and 1980s.
Visitors can experience tactile activities on the batik-making process and take part in a mobile quiz to discover their personal batik style. Results of the quiz will be revealed at The Batik Shop on Level 3, which is modelled after batik shops in Singapore and Indonesia.
Where: Special Exhibition Gallery, Peranakan Museum, 39 Armenian Street
MRT: City Hall/Bras Basah/Bencoolen
When: Oct 11 to Aug 31, 2025; 10am to 7pm, Saturdays to Thursdays, 10am to 9pm, Fridays
Admission: $6 for Singaporeans and permanent residents, $18 for foreigners and free for children under six
Info: str.sg/8763
