Visual Arts

One Machine, One Stitch, One Man - An Exhibition of Embroidery Art & Fashion

Organised by: DKPO-Collective
Performed by: Heath Yeo
  • Date:
    2 - 6 Oct 2019
  • Time:
    10:00am - 8:00pm
    10:00am - 6:00pm (6 Oct, Sun)
  • Venue:
    The Arts House Gallery II
    The Arts House Gallery IIThe Arts House Gallery II
  • Language:
    English
  • Admission:
    Free

Synopsis:

One Machine, One Stitch, One Man is an exhibition of embroidery art and fashion which features 20 exquisite hand-crafted kebayas and formal gowns made by Heath Yeo. 4 works such as a tablecloth and coaster sewn by Mrs Tan-Tjioe, who is similarly trained in the treadle machine embroidery as Heath, will also be showcased. Heath Yeo, a young fashion designer back in the 1990s has had the rare opportunity to learn the art of sulam (a Malay word for embroidery) that is stitched using a manually manoeuvred sewing machine. For 2 years, Heath went under the tutelage of the late Madam Mok Tai Ee who was famous for her kebayas sewn in her home-based shop called Kim Seng Kebayas. What Heath learnt not only ignited his interest in sulam, but he also felt a strong desire to keep the art and heritage of sulam alive. Heath currently works as a Community Social Service Worker but continues to make time to actively share and practise the craft. The creation of a kebaya is often regarded as a Peranakan art form and is decorated with motifs such as flowers, butterflies, phoenixes, dragons and insects. Given Heath's training in fashion design, he injects new elements into his Peranakan pieces, and also applies sulam onto formal gowns. His fashion pieces are sewn on the traditional manual sewing machine using a combination of stitches, such as cutwork, running and satin. An intricate piece of embroidered work takes Heath, weeks and for some, even months to be completed before the motifs become "hidup" (a Malay word for "alive"). Ironically, it is also because it takes so much effort to produce such a piece that kebayas that were produced in this manner became less common and were overtaken by mass produced ready-to-wear pieces that are more affordable and hence popular. Heath shares the key impetus that drove him to organise this exhibition: "I hope to share my love for this art form which has its inspiration in European, Chinese and Malay cultures. I want to also continue creating unique embroidered fashion pieces to share knowledge and skills with the next generations." This exhibition hopes to offer a glimpse into the colourful art of embroidery and to also celebrate the beauty of sulam – be it on kebayas, formal gowns or on customised decorative items. The exhibition will be held at Gallery II, The Arts House at The Old Parliament from 2 to 6 October 2019.

*** SPECIAL HIGHLIGHT

Please help to fund and support a needlework craft that may soon be extinct!

https://bit.ly/2kK3LhB

"One Machine, One Stitch, One Man" - An Exhibition of Embroidery Art & Fashion by Heath Yeo, is a project that hopes to invite more people to appreciate Sulam, or embroidery, using a manually manoeuvred sewing machine, and hopefully rekindle interest in Sulam that's a part of our cultural heritage.

People may generally support arts of all forms but a craft like embroidery may not garner as much support. It is often more challenging to raise funds for this type of projects. However, we have decided to carry on with it and hope that with kind support from the community, we may reduce our deficits.

One Machine, One Stitch, One Man - An Exhibition of Embroidery Art & Fashion


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