Is Peranakan Culture Really Dying?

 I have been looking at recent articles about the Peranakan culture to try to see where the culture stands right now in Singapore. I found a few interesting articles and they all seem to share the same kind of pattern, which is forgotten culture. 

I'm going to highlight a few articles here. The first one will be this. It highlights this one Peranakan family, where the youngest generation found some Peranakan style kebaya and batik shirts from their grandparents and decided to wear them to a family gathering, but, with their own modern twist. As seen in the picture above, they paired the traditional outfit with skinny jeans and shorts. They then posted this picture to a Peranakan forum and got a bit of backlash from the older generation Peranakan. The older generation of Peranakans are very traditional, they do not always appreciate the modern take of Peranakan traditions. Some traditionalists fear that these new, ‘trendy’ interpretations of their culture might misrepresent or dilute a rich and centuries-old tradition and this has created a whole fear of the Peranakan tradition. While Peter Lee, a Peranakan culture expert said that  “we need to break the myth that the kebaya (of today) is traditional.” Because when authorities and community associations try to prevent change, then over time, the cultural practices will lose their relevance and become mummified in museums.

Mr. Yeo, a traditional Peranakan kebaya maker, and his work.

I also found this article and this article, where they highlight a traditional Peranakan kebaya maker and a kasut manek (Peranakan traditional beaded shoes) maker in Singapore who has reduced their practice because of lack of interest. Peranakan traditional crafts are so unique and intricate, it is truly a work of art. And I find it very disheartening to see that these artists are getting underappreciated and if they disappear, the art with disappear. Because the art of the crafts lives through these artists.

According to Sue Rowley in her book "Craft and Contemporary Theory", she stated that the interconnectedness of craft, objects, and storytelling is integral to our construction of personal identity. And I feel like these artists, through their crafts, can tell a deep story about the Peranakan culture. For my research, I will have to look at the art of storytelling through design. Because storytelling is the one tool that enables us to deal with difficult topics, putting together what is there now and what we would like it to be. A structure of narrative with a specific style and set of characters and which includes a sense of completeness. Through this sharing experience, we use stories to pass on accumulated wisdom, beliefs, and values.