Singapura Stories Seminar Nine, in conjunction with Pesta Raya 2016
Saturday 6 August, 2016
2-4:30pm
Library @Esplanade
Free seating – Registration not required
This Seminar, held in conjunction with Pesta Raya 2016 by Esplanade Theatres, presents two talks by well-known experts who contextualise Malay adat and material culture within wider cultural perspectives.
The talks emphasise both the aesthetics and practice of an important aspect of Malay material culture in Singapore and the region – textiles and attire.
SS Seminar Nine – BUSANA with Khir Johari and Suhaimi Nasrain – Pesta Raya 2016
SS Seminar Nine – poster 2
PROGRAMME
2:00-3:00pm
From Ikat to Perada – The Story of Sumptuous Malay Textiles
Khir Johari
This is a story about the cloth that makes the clothes. If it could speak, it would tell a tale not just about taste and aesthetics but also about its role as a status symbol, and about the broader history and geography of the Malay people. While some types of traditional fabric are still being consumed, others reside only in museums. This sharing session invites you to explore the varied genres of both woven (tie-dyed ikats, brocades) and decorated textiles (hand painted batik, gold-stamped cloth and gilded embroidery), and savour the boundless creativity and knowledge that went into their production.
Khir Johari
Khir Johari is a collector and an independent researcher on the history and culture of the Malay world. He was born and raised in historic Kampong Gelam. Khir has a Mathematics Education background from Stanford University. He is currently a Director at an investment management firm. In his free time, he enjoys documenting oral history and amassing materials originating from Insular Southeast Asia such as old publications, artifacts, food anthropology items and music recordings.
3:30-4:30pm
Malay Traditional Attire: Adat and Styling
Suhaimi Nasrain
What are the characteristics of the basic cut of Malay traditional attire and its accoutrements? In this talk, the speaker will explain the traditional social forms and beliefs behind numerous styles of dressing and the wearing of different textiles. The speaker will also provide a brief overview of how the social courtesies of the past evolved to the style of wear of today.
Suhaimi Nasrain
Suhaimi Bin Nasrain is a poet, traditional Malay weapons collector and Malay cultural activist who employs written and oral narratives on Malay history and material culture. He has given public talks on the weave motifs, signs, and symbols in the styles of traditional Malay attire in relation to its historical ethos of the feudal warrior. Suhaimi also specialises in understanding the design of traditional Malay weaponry from the perspective of combat and mystical influences and is an acknowledged expert who has presented talks on traditional Malay weaponry and its lore. He has also conducted courses and lectures on the history, forms and imagery used in the traditional Malay Pantun verse form. He is passionate about developing a holistic multi-disciplinary approach to Malay culture from its socio historical influences, form and aesthetic nuances.
Related articles:
“Fashion for the Merdeka era?” – a short Berita Harian feature on Malay traditional dress from 1957
Dressing Up for Hari Raya by Julina Khusaini, FOM Feature on Hari Raya and Malay Culture appearing in the July/August 2014 issue of PASSAGE, the magazine of the Friends of the Museum (FOM).
Popular Malay Jewellery in the 1950s and 1960s by Rossmann Ithnain, FOM Feature on Hari Raya and Malay Culture appearing in the July/August 2014 issue of PASSAGE, the magazine of the Friends of the Museum (FOM).
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