| Description |
Practitioner of Nyonya beadwork and embroidery in Singapore. Fashion designer at Rumah Kim Choo boutique in the Joo Chiat area of Singapore. Third-generation Peranakan.
He grew interested in beadwork and embroidery in 2005. His first beading project was a pair of men’s shoes which took 18 months and more than 54,000 beads to complete. After that, he bought computer software to sketch and print his designs. This helped him to complete his subsequent projects faster.
Mr Wong also makes and embroiders kebayas from scratch and by hand, aided by a sewing machine. He is one of two such kebaya makers in Singapore, the other being Mr Heath Yeo. Today, beading classes are held by some Peranakan boutiques such as Rumah Kim Choo, and Mr Wong teaches embroidery classes at LASALLE College of the Arts. To Mr Wong, Nyonya beadwork and embroidery is an important part of Peranakan culture and should be kept alive. “It can be sustained as long as (there are) people who are interested in it,” he says. |
