PORTRAIT OF THE BIBIK / Solo Exhibition by MAY OON

PORTRAIT OF THE BIBIK

Solo Exhibition by MAY OON

Design Orchard Retail Showcase

Exhibition runs till 9 November

You have seen them Bibiks before, and I don't mean in that serial soap The Little Nyonya. They could be your grandmother, assorted aunties or that sullen lady who sits quietly in the kitchen at your friend's home. I had a grand aunt (elder sister of my maternal grandfather) who appeared like a perpetual benign presence at her Western Road home in Penang. She spoke in the Hokkien dialect and Malay, but no Mandarin or English. Her kebaya and coiffe were always immaculate, as one would expect from a formidable matriarch, and all of us were in awe of her.

She and her kind were the subject of local artist May Oon's latest exhibition, with twelve pieces combining monochrome protraiture (from old photographs) and colourful hues of batik textures. These are an awe-inspiring sight, like a walk back in time when bibiks ruled the household, or a traipse into some Peranakan museum, which may be found in many cities in Singapore and Malaysia. 

May Oon is a neighbour of mine. Every Wednesday afternoon after returning from work, I would find her slaving away in her workshop (a small garage space), applying paints or last touches to her bibik portraits. Her attention to detail is admirable, and the choice of colours visually appealing. 

"When will the exhibition be?" was a regular question of mine for several months, and now we have it in all its glory, on Orchard Road no less. Several pieces have already been sold, it there is little doubt they will all get snapped up in due course.

Portrait of the Bibik runs till 9 November.