Rattan Weaving with Sim
Amidst the heritage shops of Penang, explore the traditional art of Malaysian rattan weaving. Sim will teach you how to make a variety of different products with rattan in his historic family shop. You will get a feel for his daily life and rhythm, all while creating your own works to bring home.
- Snacks, Coffee, & Tea
Pricing
- One Guest
- USD $640
- Additional guest(s) (max 4)
- USD $300
Meet the Artist
Sim started apprenticeship with his father (master rattan weaver Sim Buck Teik) at the age of 17. Unlike his father who is devoted to the Malaysian art form of Rattan weaving, Sim also works with bamboo and creates both traditional and custom products.
VAWAA Includes:
- Making round, square and oval shaped products with soft rattan.
- Combining rattan with fabric and bamboo.
- Materials.
- Your handmade rattan products.
Explore Penang
From the National Park in Teluk Bahang to the street vendors on Kimberley Street with offerings as diverse as the people preparing them, Penang is an explosion of sound, color, and smell. Roam the clustered streets of George Town for murals by international street artists, or head to Bukit Mertajam's old town for a much less touristy experience. Our favorite way to see Penang, though? Rent a scooter and go for a drive around the island.
Guest Reviews
Amy S., United States
My teacher was Amoy and she taught me new many weaving patterns and techniques. Over the course of 4 days, I made 4 different items (3 baskets and one lamp shade) from rattan. I had an overall good experience in the course and in Penang - The reason I give the experience 3 stars is that the weaving creations were all pre-determined, so there was not a chance for customization according to my perso Read more
Elena V., United Kingdom
I spent 5 amazing days with May (my teacher) and Sim´s family. It was great to learn a different technique/trick every day and see the improvements day by day. I have learned a lot and I´ll be back in London full of inspiration!
Nuria P., Spain
I had such a good experience with Sim in his family workshop, every day he taught me a different style of working with rattan and created different shapes of baskets and lampshade that I could take home with me after. He is very patient and detailed, so it's a pleasure to see him working and learning from him, you can feel how he still loves working with rattan and bamboo after all these years an Read more
Nancee O., Singapore
Wonderful experience learning the art of weaving with Master Sim. As there was no language barriers, we had so much fun interacting with him and his family. Throughout, Master Sim was very patient and his teaching is simple to understand. We were able to finish and bring home with us 3 different baskets in the 5 day workshop.
Madeleine G., France
Was really good, he is excellent and his family also. They were very nice to me and his English it's good enough to explain the techniques. I love it!
Ellen F., Sweden
I felt very welcome and even though their level of english wasn’t very strong, I never felt uncomfortable or misunderstood. Poh was a good teacher - it was easy to follow and understand the different moments and I must say he had a great patience too! Overall I had a really great experience and enjoyed not only the course and the nice stay, but also the city, the nature and astonishing food of Ge Read more
Georgiana P., Singapore
Over 5 days, we made 4 baskets of different shapes and sizes each, which was quite a feat given that we were both beginners at working with rattan. Mr Sim taught us the basic structures for making a round basket using a basic weave from the beginning, and progressively work up to more challenging techniques (like a more complex braided weave to close off the basket). We worked with and learnt abou Read more
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7 reviews
