If you thought “art class” meant sitting quietly with a paintbrush, Artbarn Studio is here to prove you wrong. We went down to try it out for ourselves, and here’s everything you can expect from 3 of their most popular activities: Wheel Throwing, Batik T-Shirt Painting, and the Neon Paint Party.

First Impressions

Art Barn creative studio interior with pottery
well-organized craft space at Art Barn with pottery on display

Walking into Artbarn, the first thing that caught our eye was just how much was packed into one clean and well-kept space. Shelves lined with pottery, cups, bowls, and plates gave us a preview of what we’d be making, while corners set aside for batik painting and perfume-making hinted that this wasn’t just a one-trick studio.

Wheel Throwing

Tutor demonstrating pottery wheel throwing technique at Art Barn

Once we settled in front of the rotating pottery wheel, our tutor demoed the technique before letting us have a go ourselves. 1kg of clay is enough to shape 2 small items or 1 big item, and the whole process takes about 2 hours.

Zero pottery experience? No need to stress. The tutor guided us through every step, from centring the clay to shaping it into a cup, bowl, or whatever your heart desires. They also have got us covered with an apron, so we not worried about ruining our outfit.

Freshly shaped clay bowl on a pottery wheel at Art Barn
Hands shaping wet clay on a spinning pottery wheel during a wheel throwing class

There are 2 packages to choose from:
1-Day class: you’ll shape and form your pottery piece
2-Day class: includes an extra session the next day for colouring and firing

Because firing takes more than a day, this is worth planning around, especially if you’re visiting from Singapore. The good news is once your piece is fired, Artbarn can ship it straight to Singapore for an extra Rp150,000 (up to 4 items).

Batik T-Shirt Painting

Tracing a batik pattern with hot wax using a traditional canting tool

Next up, we swapped clay for canvas — or rather, a T-shirt. This activity lets you pick your own shirt size and design, whether tha`t’s from their existing pattern selection or something you sketch up yourself. Even the placement is up to you; it doesn’t have to sit front and centre.

Here’s how it goes:

  • Pick your T-shirt size
  • Choose a pattern (or design your own)
  • Sketch it onto the shirt in pencil
  • Trace it with hot candle wax using a canting, the traditional batik tool
Tie-dye T-shirt after batik wax and dye process at Art Barn

Once the wax work is done, you get to tie-dye the shirt using your own colour choices. No 2 shirts turn out exactly alike, which makes this one of the more personal souvenirs you can walk away with.

Neon Paint Party

neon colors in a dark room
Glowing neon paint splashed on canvas under blacklight at Art Barn

For our final activity, we moved next door to a shophouse that had been transformed into a blacked-out room lit entirely by neon lights, making every splash of paint pop.

Before diving in, we were handed plastic raincoats and sandals to protect our clothes. Each person got to pick up to 4 paint colours, plus 2 paint-filled balloons to throw at the canvas and a giant syringe for adding paint. Add in a range of brush sizes and a rotating table for creating swirl patterns, and you’ve basically got a mini paint rave.

The session runs for almost an hour, and honestly, you don’t need a single art bone in your body to enjoy it, just a willingness to get a little messy and have fun.

Getting There

Artbarn Studio Batam

Location: Komp. Roma Sumatra, Jl. Raja Ali H., Sungai Jodoh, Kec. Batu Ampar, Kota Batam

  • Open 09:00 AM – 17:00 PM; Closed Tuesday
  • ~10 minutes from Harbour Bay Downtown

Planning your trip

Artbarn makes for a great Batam day trip idea, whether you’re planning a quick weekend escape or squeezing in some creative fun between shopping and spa stops. Book your ferry ticket to Batam with Horizon Fast Ferry, and you could be shaping clay or splashing neon paint just a short sail away from Singapore.