From the elegant sarong kebaya uniform worn by the Singapore Airlines’ cabin crew to being the sartorial choice of Singapore's leaders and even visiting dignitaries, it is hard not to be enchanted by batik, a traditional handcrafted textile popular not just in the Lion City but several parts of Southeast Asia. The floral motif batik print (above) created by using wax-resist dyeing technique is the handiwork of the late Singaporean batik artist Sarkasi Said. The recipient of the 2020 Cultural Medallion — Singapore's apex Cultural award conferred to those who have achieved artistic excellence in visual and performing arts — earned the sobriquet Baron of Batik for his innovative work with the artform. As a keen proponent of batik, Said often travelled to Indonesia and Malaysia to learn more about batik and the communities that practice it. While it originated in the 17th century in Central Java, over the years, batik has evolved into a contemporary cultural representation of the shared heritage among Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. This common link is the subject of an ongoing exhibition titled Batik Kita: Dressing in Port Cities at the Asian Civilisations Museum, a repository of Asian art and history in Singapore. The showcase features over 100 masterpieces — including rare exhibits — from local and overseas lenders.