This is one of the many exhibitors’ booths in the bi-annual Gelar Batik Nusantara, the biggest and most comprehensive exhibition of batik in Indonesia. It’s primary purpose is to promote batik in its many forms from every part of Indonesia, from contemporary designers, collectors of antique batik, writers, and historians. In the photo above are […]
The Museum Tekstil in Jakarta recently honored two Germans who have contributed greatly to the promotion and appreciation of Javanese batik internationally. Brigitte Willach of Hanover has been supporting the kelompok Bimasakti, in Giriloyo, Bantul, south of Yogyakarta, a batik collective of women dedicated to creating batik in the tradition of the keraton, since 1985. […]
This is a batik from the workshop of Sutoyo Slamet from Wiradesa, Pekalongan, also mentioned in my previous post on Pesisir batik. What stands out immediately for me in his work, is the delicate artistry and precision of the waxing. The canting his pembatik use has an opening so small, it can barely be seen […]
Batik Pesisir was produced in coastal areas of northern Java and Madura that were exposed to sea trading and consequently was influenced by cultures from other parts of the world. It was distinguished from the batik that came from the rest of Java which emanated originally from the keraton, or royal courts, and was fundamentally […]
The resist in these scarves was achieved by clamping some wood scraps together on folded raw silk from Phnom Srouk Province in Cambodia and dipping them into an indigo vat. When the clamps and wood blocks are removed the pattern is revealed.
I love batik that tells a story. By this I do not mean the European-influenced fairytale batik of the last century produced in Java during the Dutch colonial occupation in Indonesia, that depict snow white or little red riding hood. I mean batik that tells us something about real life. I have always loved the […]
Recently I visited Rowland and Chinami Ricketts in their studio in Bloomington, Indiana , where Rowland is an assistant professor on the textiles faculty in the School of Fine Arts. “Rowland and Chinami Ricketts use natural materials and traditional processes to create contemporary textiles. Chinami hand-weaves narrow width yardage for kimono and obi. Rowland hand-dyes […]
I’ve looked at many batik colored with natural dyes, and often the results are somewhat dull and flat. When I saw this one by my colleague, Mas Solikhin Ahmad of Pekalongan on the north coast of Java, I jumped for joy at the liveliness of the color, all derived from natural sources, including indigo. The […]
Instead of applying the wax by hand with the canting, the wax resist is applied with a stamp made of copper, called a cap (tchap). The dye is indigo. [singlepic id=1073 w= h= float=center]
I tried my hand at using the canting to write with wax but it is a long and difficult process. My friend Asif suggested that I ask his friend who is a skilled tukang cap to make a “Love”stamp. I was skeptical that it could be done. Having never seen how a stamp, called a […]