4. Peranakan Museum Week 3

30th AugIn Week 3, we went to the Peranakan Museum. The museum tries to reflect the vibrancy of this group of mixed bloods. There was an emphasis on the strict rules the Peranakans set for themselves and their future generations. Elaborate practices and traditions to keep their culture on going and also to flaunt their wealth.

There are lots of influences that gave rise to 'Peranakan culture'. Mainly Chinese elements, but also Malay, European and Indonesian, if I may name a few to define them.

My storyboard

Paper cuttings I did at the Museum

I returned to the museum again and decided to pick the Door Gods as inspiration.

Because the voluntary tour guide made the point that the Door Gods had something to do with the Tang emperor and how the came to being murals on doors for all the houses of the common men.

1st try

I tried again to cut the Door Gods, and consciously tried to modify it so it wouldn't look very Chinese. As I was doing it, I thought it looked a bit like the Kings of playing cards, and slightly medieval. I didn't think it was bad. I quite liked it but I needed some kind of assurance that this wasn't too Chinese looking.

The idea was to have this placed on the back of a dress, with a zip between the gods, so it protects the wearer from malicious men.

Tang said it looked too Chinese. I thought it was perhaps because I was putting Chinese influenced characters on paper through paper cutting which is a traditional art form in China, and I was worried that people who do not readily accept cultural things may not buy it, and "you will lose a 1/3 of the world who are Christians and Muslims" as Tang declared.

Emma said she wouldn't wear characters on the back of her dress. She pointed out that people don't usually wear characters on their clothes unless they are some kinda musician, idols that the wearer is into.

I did my research by going out to Holland Village on Saturday night (and also consciously everyday) and I was looking for any one who wore a character on their clothes. But few people do that. Those who did had some kinda cartoon on it. Sesame street, cute Japanese cartoons and the like. Other types of print like florals or stripes are definitely more readily accepted by the everday folks.

Perhaps that's just the way it is. I never really liked characters myself. I sometimes thought if I wore a huge silly cartoon characters, people would be looking at my shirt and not my face.

I think I shall ignore the fact most people don't wear characters and move on.

I thought of introducing some other culture's distinctive fashion into the door gods..

or giving the gods a cool Chris Martin face because Coldplay is a good and for sure and he has a pleasing face.

I was thinking a lot about clothes that have details on the back. I am certain that most designers/apparel makers and consumers like details on the front so that the wearer can see himself and feel good about the clothes he's in. Any piece of clothing that has focus on the back tends to be a detail that the wearer can physically feel. They include any kind of top or dress that bares the back's skin whether it be a spaghetti strap or a plunging low detail. This is my analysis for now. I might be wrong.