Nestled in a row of shophouses at 22 Jalan Kelulut, Sam Mui Kuang Pottery is one of the oldest pottery workshops in Singapore. Founded by Chua Eng Cheow, it has a fascinating history that began when he immigrated from Chaozhou, China, in 1936. Born into a village of potters, he brought his skills to Singapore and started working at the Tau Heng workshop along Yio Chu Kang Road.

Around 1940, he and his brother decided to build their own pottery workshop in an area later named Jalan Hwi Yoh (meaning fire kiln in Teochew) after their kiln. His son, Chua Soo Kim, one of the current second-generation owners, said: “Singapore’s first Chief Minister, David Marshall, named the road after our kiln as we were the only kiln in the area. At that time, we had a 50-metre-long dragon kiln.” Dragon kilns, which originated in China over 3,000 years ago, are made of bricks and earth, and resemble the long, curving body of the mythical beast.

The workshop flourished during the Japanese Occupation, producing sake bottles for the Japanese. After the war, however, business suffered and the workshop changed hands several times before the brothers struck a deal with Sam Mui Kuang, a marble company. They leased the workshop from the company and continued to produce pottery, with Sam Mui Kuang taking a cut of the sales. 

In the 1960s, they bought out all the shares and kept the name of the workshop. They continued to operate at Jalan Hwi Yoh until 1994, when they relocated to Jalan Kelulut, off Yio Chu Kang Road, to make way for a flatted factory.

From essential goods to pottery therapy

Chua Soo Kim shared the workshop’s vital role in supporting the community over the years. “We used to produce essential items such as water jars and bowls. In the 1950s, when Singapore implemented water rationing, we made a lot of water jars for families to store water,” he recalled. “We also made soy sauce jars for Yeo Hiap Seng.”

When Singapore was planning its gardens in the 1950s and 1960s, the workshop supplied flower pots for the zoo and the Botanic Gardens. “During our heyday in the 1980s, we started exporting planter boxes and assorted ceramics to Australia, the United States and Europe,” he said. 

In the 1990s, the workshop shifted from making and producing pottery to studio pottery and supplying pottery-related materials and equipment. “We started to conduct pottery classes daily in the workshop. Doctors, architects and lawyers came to take classes after work, as pottery helps to relax the mind and reduce stress,” he said. 

“Before COVID-19, many expatriates also attended pottery classes. Now, we see more elderly coming to our classes during weekdays, and on weekends we usually see more young women in their late 20s and 30s.” 

He highlighted the benefits of learning pottery, including maintaining hand balance and improving memory. "We have an elderly lady with Alzheimer's who came with her daughter, and she remembers how to use the different colours to paint her pottery."

Raising awareness of pottery

Apart from conducting classes in the workshop, he also teaches pottery art classes in schools and trains teachers to operate the electric kiln. “Unlike the traditional dragon kiln, which requires wood and fire to operate, the electric kiln is now fully computerised and can produce many different vibrant colours,” he said. This modern approach helps to make pottery accessible and engaging for students and teachers alike.

He expressed his pride in carrying on his father's work and highlighted the joy he finds in engaging the community through pottery classes and workshops. “To keep up with technology and connect with the community, we use social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp to raise awareness about pottery.

“We also organise overseas exchanges with foreign potters in Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Japan and China every three years.” This blend of heritage and innovation ensures that the art of pottery remains vibrant and accessible to all.

[Chinese]

坐落在惹兰加由区的三美光陶艺是本地历史最悠久的陶艺工坊之一。它早年拥有一座50米长的龙窑，现已改用电窑制作陶瓷作品。随着市场需求不断变化，三美光陶艺也从生产水缸、碗、酱油缸和花盆等陶瓷器，发展成专注于教学和材料供应的工坊，吸引许多年长者和专业人士来学习陶艺，以放松心情和舒缓压力。

[Malay]

Sebagai salah sebuah bengkel tembikar tertua di Singapura, Sam Mui Kuang Pottery yang terletak di Divisyen Jalan Kayu pernah menghasilkan barang keperluan untuk masyarakat seperti balang air dan mangkuk. Kini ia telah bertukar peranan menjadi studio tembikar dan pembekal bahan tembikar. Ramai orang, termasuk warga emas dan ekspatriat, menghadiri kelas-kelas tembikar untuk menenangkan fikiran dan mengurangkan tekanan mereka.

[Tamil]

சிங்கப்பூரில் உள்ள ஆகப் பழமையான மட்பாண்டப் பட்டறைகளில் ஒன்றான சாம் முய் குவாங் மட்பாண்டப் பட்டறை ஜாலான் காயு தொகுதிப்பிரிவில் அமைந்துள்ளது. இந்தப் பட்டறை தண்ணீர் ஜாடிகள், கிண்ணங்கள் போன்ற அத்தியாவசியப் பொருட்களை சமூகத்திற்காகத் தயாரித்து வந்தது. இப்போது, இது மட்பாண்டக் கலைக்கூடமாக மாறி, மட்பாண்டக் கலைக்குத் தேவையான பொருட்களையும் விநியோகம் செய்கிறது. முதியோர், வெளிநாட்டுக் குடியேறிகள் உள்ளிட்ட பலரும், தங்கள் சிந்தைக்கு ஓய்வு கொடுத்து மன உளைச்சலைக் குறைத்துக்கொள்ள மட்பாண்ட வகுப்புகளில் கலந்து கொள்கின்றனர்.