Keeping the Wonder and magic Of Batik Alive

Home to Singaporean brand Baju by Oniatta, Galeri Tokokita is a boutique specialising in batik. More than a retail experience, the space allows for the education about the history and significance of batik through their selection of ready-to-wear batik apparel, art pieces, and personal collection.

Galeri Tokokita is now Time Out Singapore Recommends.
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Behind each piece of batik, there is a story. A labour of love. An artistry of wax and dye. Baju by Oniatta invites you to experience it by meeting the cloth. Delve into the symbolism of the motifs and the meticulous handiwork of the artisans for each piece of clothing from Baju by Oniatta is a portal to the past, to the folklore of Indonesia and the migration of this timeless craft to neighbouring Singapore. Designed for comfort and style for the modern age, each batik creation is also a reinterpretation of the way batik should be appreciated and worn today.

Launched in Singapore in October 2016, Baju by Oniatta has grown from a single collection of batik pants into a full-fledged clothing line with a women’s, men’s and children’s range. Founded by Oniatta Effendi, whose grandparents hail from Java, Baju by Oniatta pays homage to her roots and legacy by turning each handmade piece of batik fabric into wearable art. An artiste and drama educator, Oniatta aspires to bring the beauty of the traditions, culture, language and craftsmanship of batik to everyone.

Baju by Oniatta is exclusively available at Galeri Tokokita, a boutique set up and designed by Oniatta. It first opened in a humble unit in Katong Point on Joo Chiat Road in 2019 but now sits in a shophouse located in history-rich Kampung Glam -- a neighbourhood forged by the Bugis, Javanese and Arab communities and the birthplace of batik in Singapore. Galeri Tokokita is both a showcase for Oniatta’s designs and a space to meet this very special handcrafted textile.

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Senandung 1974 Collection

2022

Senandung. A hum. A familiar tune. A serenade that brings comfort, and warmth. This year, we take a retrospective look on familiar silhouettes that define Malay traditional wear, together with the mo...

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Macan [1] Collection

2022

Macan [I], features the parang motif in batik chap (hand stamped batik with copper stamps specially created for this collection), which has been appropriated to mimic the transverse stripes of a tiger...

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ABC: Alam | Bumi | Cahya Collection

2021

Alam | Bumi | Cahya (ABC) is inspired by Oniatta’s trip to Nice, the south of France. The collection features natural dyes in colours reminiscent of the Mediterranean Sea and sky, made with breathab...

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Bonjour Baju Collection

2021

The special event, being our debut in Europe, will reprise batik motifs from the Kasih+Sayang collection which was first released in 2020. Kasih+Sayang is a celebration of love. The collection explor...

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Eyang Collection

2021

A found treasure. Beneath a stack of black and white pictures, a stash was that belonged to Oniatta's father. In a batik shirt. He dons the Sidomulyo motif. Batik Sidomulyo is structurally a geometri...

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Lingkaran: Coming Full Circle Collection

2021

Lingkaran is inspired by the shape and motion of a circle that knows no end. This collection looks at coming full circle, signifying Baju by Oniatta’s move into Kampung Gelam as bringing batik ho...

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Oh Sashiko Collection

2020

The sashiko motif is derived from the Japanese style of stitching/embroidery . This is the 2020 collection.

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Kasih + Sayang Collection

2020

Kasih+Sayang is a celebration of love. The collection explores this through its expression in batik motifs. The motifs featured are Kawung Parang Sido Mulyo Truntum Merak Ngibing ...

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Oh Sashiko Collection

2019

Oh Sashiko! celebrates a time-honoured tradition through the craft of batik making. Sashiko (literal translation: little stabs) is a form of decorative reinforcement stitching from Japan that start...

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Nostalgia Collection

2019

Nostalgia was birthed from a strong sense of longing. We all hold memories with us - sometimes of people, sometimes of buildings. Important places and people in our lives bring us back to a time when ...

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Biru: An Ode to Bunda Collection

2018

Biru: An Ode to Bunda encapsulates the voices of strong women. Inspired by 4 incredible women, Oniatta designed this collection as a tribute to Mother. She recognizes the multiple roles women play and...

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Warna: A Tapestry of Colours Collection

2017

Warna is a celebration of diversity. While the craft of batik is intertwined with the cultural identity of the Indonesian people, its historical journeying is diverse. This collection acknowledges the...

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Meet Oniatta Effendi

Batik has always been there in my life.

Oniatta Effendi is the Founder of Baju by Oniatta and owner of Galeri Tokokita.


A Singaporean by birth, Oniatta has always had a love for artistry. Trained as an educator, she taught for over 21 years in various institutions, including Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore Polytechnic, LaSalle College of the Arts, and secondary schools. She is also an applied drama practitioner and works with youth offenders at rehabilitative spaces, youths with special needs, children in welfare homes as well as ex-inmates with addiction issues at a halfway house.
Oniatta found herself drawn to batik on her many travels to different parts of Indonesia. Her personal journeys resulted in excessive purchases of batik fabric but also spurred her to share her passion for the craft and her desire to support the traditional ecosystem of this heritage textile. She started out with just 12 pieces of pants, uniquely designed to look like a sarong, at a pop-up. These Utama pants are today a bestseller and a cornerstone creation for Baju by Oniatta.

Oniatta dreams of documenting the voices of batik craftsmen from different parts of Indonesia as a way of preserving the trade and educating batik enthusiasts. She is a mother of five, all of whom wear batik with nothing but pride.
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