Homemade treats

SINGAPORE — Sample jams in flavours such as sweet potato and ginger; watch artisans craft leather bags by hand right in front of your eyes; immortalise yourself with a 3D model. These are just some of the highlights of this weekend’s Made in SG Market at the new National Design Centre.

The market is organised by Makers of Singapore, an initiative made up of four undergraduates from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information keen to promote the local craft community.

“It started out as our final year project but it became bigger than that as we wanted it to be more than just an academic exercise,” said Sophial Foo.

Foo’s team-mate Wong Jing Ying added they were very much inspired by the maker movement in the United States. “We’ve seen how big the movement can be in cities like San Francisco with SFMade, and we wanted to see how we could bring it back to Singapore,” explained Wong. “As not many people know we have items which are entirely designed and made (locally), we hope to push the whole ‘made-in-Singapore’ tag, get people to recognise and appreciate it instead of the usual made-in-China products we usually see.”

The craft industry has been receptive to the foursome’s enthusiasm. Last month, Blackmarket founder Jasmine Tuan and Carolyn Kan of Carrie K accessories took part in a forum to discuss the challenges of working in the local craft business, and interviews with more craftsmen can be found on the Makers of Singapore website. Now, the Made in SG Market aims to bring these Singapore talents closer to everyone.

One of the participants at this weekend’s market is local 3D printing service Tinkr. The ladies behind it, Lee Xiaohui and Freda Chua, will not only be showcasing some of their creations — they’ve created everything from fashion accessories to a Hakone gate for a customer’s wedding — they will also be demonstrating how the nifty new 3D printing technology works.

For those more concerned with edible craft, there is a dedicated section just for food, where Liberty Coffee and GSH Conserves will be stationed. “I’ve come up with a small menu of snacks to go along with my handmade jams so people can try or find out more,” said Joey Gan of GSH, who concocts his jams by hand in flavours such as Dragonfruit and Lychee three days a week.

Foo and Wong were quick to explain that their Made in SG Market is not a flea market as the focus isn’t on retail. “We see ourselves as complementing other initiatives such as Temporium, and for us, we just want to provide a loud voice, a platform to tell the mass audience that we have a lot of talented people here.” explained Foo.

GSH’s Gan simply hopes for an audience at the National Design Centre. “As most of us don’t own our own shops, this is the best way to meet us,” he said. “Just come talk to us — we’re very friendly!”

What: The Made in SG Market

When: Feb 22 and 23, 12pm to 7pm

Where: National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road

Info: www.makersofsingapore.com