Join MoSH as we celebrate Malaysia – this year’s Memphis in May honored the country. Enjoy our Malaysia Exhibit and fun special activities celebrating this amazing country.

About Malaysia

Malaysia is the 45th largest country in the world, with a population of 31 million people. It’s the 66th largest in terms of area. Malaysia is located in Southeast Asia, just north of the equator bordering Thailand to the north and Indonesia and the island of Singapore to the south.

Celebration of Sarawak –  On Exhibit Now

This exhibit showcases Sarawak’s rich ethnic and cultural heritage through intriguing artifacts from the Sarawaka Museum. Sarawak is the state in Malaysia known for its diverse culture. Come see the exhibit while it is on display throughout May.

Activities – Saturdays in May – 11am – 3pm

Every Saturday in May, MoSH will be hosting a special crafts project, inspired by the artists of Malaysia.

Activities/crafts are free with general admission.

Activities include:

May 20 – Make a Wayang Kulit puppet and enjoy an accompanying puppet show

Wayang Kulit is an Indonesian form of shadow puppetry. 

The audience just sees a shadow of the puppet on the white cloth. This form of shadow puppetry is believed to have originated in the Indonesian island of Java. Wayang Kulit puppetry is not just entertainment – it combines storytelling, music, philosophical meaning of life, political commentary, and humor. 

May 27 – Making batik and Malaysian fashion

Malaysian Batik 

Batik is a process where designs are applied to fabric through a technique that involves the application of melted wax, either through lines or dots. In Malaysia, there are two types of batik – hand-drawn batik and stamped batik. Hand-drawn batik typically uses cotton, rayon, linen, voile and silk. These fabrics are patterned with floral and geometrical motifs. Hand-drawn batik is made into dresses, scarves, framed art as well as pareos and caftans for formal events. Stamped or block-printed batik is typically created on cotton. This fabric is tailored into shirts and dresses for leisure wear and handicrafts.