If you’re a fan of museum shops, you might have already noticed the new Supermama The Museum Store shops and a refreshed range of merchandise at both the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) and the National Museum of Singapore! The National Heritage Board (NHB) appointed Supermama as its retail partner for ACM and the National Museum. Founded in 2010, Supermama is a Singapore design and lifestyle goods brand that produces and sells locally designed homeware and souvenirs, ranging from signature cobalt blue and white porcelain collections to contemporary tableware.

Bernard Tan, Deputy Director of the Retail and Merchandising Division at NHB, said, “We are delighted to embark on a long-term partnership with one of our finest local retail flagships that proudly champions Singaporean design. We are looking to work together with Supermama to rally local creatives to create tangible reminders of our shared Singaporean identity, and will be embarking on various projects – collectively and individually – that will distinctly express the rich artistic heritage of Singapore and the region.”

Edwin Low, the founder of Supermama, said: “We are extremely excited to come on board as our national museums’ retail partner. Since our inception in 2010, Supermama has been taking a keen interest in capturing and translating aspects of Singapore’s diverse heritage into design and craft. We have already been working with local designers, illustrators and artists to create a body of work that has resonated with many Singaporeans, but we believe that working with the museums can provide us with an even richer context to develop new products which can reflect our roots and culture more deeply. Ultimately, the museum stores are extensions of the museums, and our hope is to be able to enrich the museum-going experience and offer even more meaningfully designed products to both Singaporeans and visitors.”

As the retail partner of ACM and the National Museum, Supermama will not only retail its own merchandise but will also develop and jointly design co-branded retail merchandise inspired by Singapore’s National Collection, on a royalty-free arrangement.  Upcoming projects include a pop-up showcase titled Takumi Next (working title) held in conjunction with ACM’s Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto exhibition, that spotlights next-generation traditional craftsmen from Japan. Another project slated for next year is Souvenirs from Singapore (working title), a collaborative product line aimed at deliberating the future of souvenirs in a post-pandemic world.

Supermama will also work closely with NHB to jointly develop programmes at the museums to support our exhibitions and festivals, such as customised workshops. MUSEUM LABEL and Supermama are also working towards organising an annual festival revolving around ceramicware and the art of ceramic making, with the first Of Cups and Crafts (working title) planned to be held in end-2022, which will bring together local ceramicists and feature bespoke art objects created by local creatives.

NHB will continue to design and create MUSEUM LABEL merchandise, inspired by Singapore’s National Collection. These merchandises will be retailed at Supermama, The Museum Store in a shop-in-shop format. It recently released a range of merchandise inspired by the iconic William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings, with lifestyle items such as canvas tote bags, name card holders, watches and more featuring motifs based on the watercolour drawings of the flora and fauna of the Malay Peninsula. Another new product line inspired by ACM’s trade and export wares is also in the pipeline.

Chung May Khuen, Director of National Museum of Singapore, said: “We warmly welcome Supermama to be part of our National Museum family, and look forward to collaborations with our homegrown creatives to co-present the museum’s rich collection as meaningful and memorable keepsakes. The exciting line-up of projects are wonderful opportunities to invite thoughtful conversations on Singapore’s identity and history. The redesigned space will allow a seamless experience in engaging visitors as they extend their visit to the museum into the Supermama store.”

Kennie Ting, Director of ACM and Peranakan Museum, said, “As Singapore’s national museum of Asian antiquities and decorative art, ACM champions aesthetic excellence, and we celebrate Asia and Singapore’s talented community of artisans, designers and craftspeople. With Supermama on board, ACM looks forward to a new museum retail experience, and new lines of merchandise grounded in Singapore’s pan-Asian cultural roots, while furthering innovation in the space of tradition. I invite everyone to safely visit the ACM and its new store to enjoy and be inspired by our collection and the merchandise on offer.”

Supermama The Museum Store – Celebrate National Day With Them

In celebration of the two new shop openings and National Day, museum-goers who shop at Supermama, The Museum Store between 9 to 31 August 2021 stand to receive Singapore-themed gifts from Supermama or MUSEUM LABEL, while stocks last!

Visit their new museum stores at:

• ACM Learning Gallery, Level 1 (1 Empress Place. Singapore 179555)
• National Museum of Singapore Concourse Gallery, Level 1 (93 Stamford Road. Singapore 178897)

Enjoy your retail therapy!