goodbye proposal, draft one

i hate the idea of writing a proposal to explain my work, and find it even more ridiculous that it is being marked this year. how are you possibly able to put a grade to someone's ideas and plans man? and for the juniors, they've got an artist statement to write with a word limit of 500 words. pfft!

i know that today, a proposal is beneficial to us- it is the way to go when we are in the world out there and it aids us in finding opportunities to secure group exhibitions and...

because it is being graded, i've written a draft that's late for submission. i sent it to my lecturer at 3 in the morning but woke to realise that despite sincerely apologizing for the unpunctuality, i had failed to attach the word document containing the content. super dooper klutz.

anyway, here it is, and it kind of sums up the current body of work i'm producing. unedited and without the biblio:

Being Nyonya
Miscellany of What's Left in Our Time


"Look around. And be fascinated by a world that is fast disappearing."
-Mr. Peter Wee

The Straits Chinese existence at present is turbulent as their rich, vibrant culture faces and evolution of their customs and the diminishing us of their typical patois to adapt to modernity. The dying community, which had acculturated various cultural elements into their ethnicity during their prime centuries ago, is now ironically undergoing re-acculturation to bring back its glory.

Still, the tedious lifestyles of the Peranakans in the yesteryears is not suited for modernity in te 21st century, to the extent that these descendants of the ethnic identity do nt keep to the tradition as strictly as before, resulting in their progression to endangerment.

Hence, I am interested in putting these elements of old in the new context by illustrating my perspective of the traditional culturei n Singapore today with the subtle fusion of modern objects and influences, personal experiences and observations into Being Nyonya, as a reflective, nostalgiv experience in celebrating a unique local culture, as I imagine myself as a Peranakan.


Objectives

I recently read a poen by Sakura Reyna entitled, "Constant Change", and here is a line from the fourth stanza: "We will change the world with every thought and movement, and the only constant change is CHANGE."

I find that what Reyna wrote is very applicable to what we see today in our society. The world is never constant but is every changing, and in the 21st century, the modification of our environment is made in haste. One of my concerns about change is of the evolution of the local culture in Singapore, especially the rich Peranakan culture which once dominated the early 18th and 19th centuries. But that was before globalization and the introduction of western ideas.

Due to globalization, the culture has been on a decline, as the educated Peranaans are "keen to modernize and adapt their culture to fit in with the outside world and western ways.(Khoo,1998)" This, in the first place, defines them as they have been linguistically assimilated by the Malays (though remaining Chinese ethnically) and acculturated cultural elements into one ethnic identity at the beginning. This, however, has led to negative circumstances in that progression rids traditional customes, as it is hard to maintain, too expensive or because of the shift of beliefs that are unrealistic in present day,

Consequently, I am interested in how changes in this decade have resultedi n the development of a tradition that has cultivated centuries of history in Singapore, and how one of what was once a dominating local ethnic identity has evolved through the adoption of modernity.

Hence, my research will cover how the shift has been captured in the existing Peranakan culture by the younger generation who assimilate modernity in their lifestyles today. My area of research covers the introduction of western beliefs like Christianity through colonization, which resulted in many Peranakans converting ot Catholicism, English education in school systems which has contributed to extinguishing of an ethnic mother tongue- the Baba Malay and the increasing impracticality of maintaining certain traditions such as the elaborate weddings that have become unaffordable and inconvenient, considering women's ideals have changed and marriage is no longer the main event of a Nyonyas life.

The evolution of this culture has enabled new opportunities to occur, but has brought about the endangerment of a culture that is difficult to maintain and disappearing fast. Thus, as i attempt to preserve memories of the experiences of what little contact i have with the nyonya culture in the setting of the present as well as expose the gradual change in tradition and culture as the tradition morphs to adapt to the modern day's influences in Being Nyonya.


Rationale

To me, I find that nothing beats the experiences that are more genuine and believable than personal history and the people connected with it. I believe in appreciation, and maintenance of these moments as records for keepsake, which coincides with my current work on the Peranakans. As the culture continues to evolve and adapt to the rapid changes in globalization, I have a fear that these precious instances depicting Peranakan traditions and their way of life may one day be lost from sight.

This comes from a realization that I am unsure of my identity in a sense that I know too little about our ancestors. The traditions and cultures of my family that has been passed down to our generation today, like the Peranakans, have been diluted, with its true authenticity lost through changes with time.

Much confusion about my roots was brought about by memories of growing up. I lived with my paternal great grandmother till she passed on when I was 7. Every morning, I would watch Lau Ma, as I called her, get dressed. She used to wear the Baju Panjang and fastened her bun along with a wig(to make it thicker) with a huge 13.8 cm gold tinted Chuchuk sanggul which we still keep till this day. Also, during special occasions, such as weddings and anniversaries, I noticed that my grandma nad the older generation of female relatives will put on their Nyonya Kebayas, which is much shorter than that of the Baju Panjang, and completing the get up with the very unique beaded slippers, Kasot Manek.

Jurgen Rudolph wrote in Reconstructing Identities: A Social History of The Babas in Singapore, " Dick Lee... said he had suffered an identity crisis for all of his life." My [Nyonya] grandmother was very British. She drank tea at four and read Jane Austen. I though I was a character in an Enid Blyton novel." (Rudolph, 1999)

My experiences, observations and research about my family have raised increasing uncertainties to whether we are true Peranakans, or not. With this, I find that like me, not many people in Singapore are aware or hae knowledge about their roots too. Hence, I embark on this road to discovery with Being Nyonya as a reflection on how modernity has taken over a traditional culture, be it the adoption of dressing by non-peranakans, or how it has evolved to the stage whereby the Strais Chinese have abandoned their traditional customs and beliefs, to the simplification of rites and ceremonies since the changes in society.

The process of creating the body of work for Being Nyonya also gives an opportunity to celebrate the dying Peranakan culture whose customs are little known to many of us, and to be Nyonya, a learning experience which will enable me to discover and appreciate this colourful and unique culture.


Outcomes

A series of 6-8 ilustrations will be a representation of my take on the culture of Peranakans in Singapore today. These illustrations will be referenced from old photographs with family members as subjects.

The queer fusion of past and present day objects in these portraits will be created using pen and Chinese ink(which will reflect traditionality) on coffee-stained watercolour paper, and a screen printed (this will reflect influences from the west) self-designed Peranakan influenced wallpaper in pastel colours behind the subjects will round it off.

I enjoy drawing, especially portraits as I find that portraiture is able to take on the most basic and literal elements of my mystified biography, and hence, able to reflect personal history as I try to "be Nyonya". Jonathan Richardson most notably wrote: A Portrait is a sort of General History of the Life of the Person it represents , not only to Him who is acquainted with it but to Many others, who upon Occasion of seeing it are frequently told, of what is most Material concerning Them, or their General Character at least... These therefore many times answer the ends of Historical Pictures, which speaks my point.

Realism is a style that I will be using in my method of replicating my portraits from old photographs from the past ( my grandpa's personal collection) as the intricacy and delicacy in creating the series of illustrations in Being Nyonya is appropriate in reflecting the tedious nature of beading and creation of other handicraft, a practice taken up by young peranakan ladies in the past. A young nyonya in the early days were expected to display skills which wouldb e judged by potential partners. The intimacy with my work also brings back nostalgia as I come into close contact with my relatives in spirit as I try to discover and reintepret some personal history.

As a female artist creating the Being Nyonya series as a fine art, and using a self portrait in the work , I attempt to contest the idea that there is a shift in professional roles in women today, in that Peranakan women in the past were domesticated and were trained in handicrafts, and comparing it with women's place in Singapore's society now.