Stories from the Community

Following the Peranakan theme in ArtStories, we were invited to Riverside Primary to conduct a special Kasut Manek Shoe Making programme with their students!

Nyonya women wear traditional Peranakan slippers called “beaded shoes,” or Kasut Manek. Distinguished by their elaborate beadwork utilizing tiny glass beads, they are fashioned onto leather soles and feature floral or symbolic designs on silk or velvet. Originally worn for formal events like weddings, they stood for grace, endurance, and ethnic pride. As a representation of Peranakan workmanship and legacy, Kasut Manek is now highly prized.

The children created their own unique designs that reflected their ingenuity and inspiration using only cardboard, glue, tape, felt cloth, and sequins.