batik magazine latestt

B AT I K

VARIETY
TYPES OF
BATIK

BATIK BLOG, BATIK
SKRIN, BATIK LUKIS,
TIE DYE BATIK

FAMOUS
BATIK
ARTISTS

AMRI YAHYA,
FATIMAH CHIK,
KWAN CHIN

1

2

3

EDITOR LETTER

of batik, called
written batik, is
drawn using only a
tjanting. The cloth
needs to be drawn
on both sides and
put in a color bath
three or four times.
The process may
take up to a year.

Evidence of early examples wax over the cloth. Each culture
of batik has been found in has different traditional styles
the Far East, Middle East, of batik. The history of batik is
Central Asia and India from over really expressive. There are a lot of
2000 years ago. However, it is techniques available for the artist
more likely that the craft spread to have the opportunity to explore
from Asia to the islands of the a unique process in an exciting
Malay Archipelago and west way.
to the Middle East through the To make a batik, they use the cloth
caravan route. They are decorated as the paper, and they just start
with trees, animals, flute players, drawing hot wax over the cloth.
hunting scenes, and mountains. And they said if we repeated the
Indonesia, most popular on the process, it will be more colorful.
island of Java, is the area where For the first step, make sure the
batik has reached the greatest cloth is washed. Batik patterns are
accomplishment.There are many drawn with pencil and later drawn
examples of this form of batik, as again using a hot wax. The very
well as hand-produced work in common thing that people use is
many parts of the world today. the pen-like instrument called a
tjanting. After the cloth is dry, the
Batik is an art that is becoming areas keep their original color, and
more popular in the West. In it also shows the pattern between
Indonesia, batik is a part of an the areas that have the color and
ancient tradition and has been do not have the color. It gives
taught for centuries. The word them a pattern. Then the artist
batik is from Java and it means repeats the process once for each
to “dot”. To make a batik, an color. A very traditional type
artist uses the cloth as the paper,
and they just start drawing hot

4

CONTENTS

6 HISTORY OF BATIK Jlamprang or ceplok batik motif of clothes of 13th-cen-
8 WHAT DOES BATIK tury East Javanese

SYMBOLIZE?

10 THE UNIQUE OF BATIK
14 WHY IS BATIK SO SPECIAL?

16 BATIK TECHNIQUES
18 PROCESS OF MAKING BATIK
20 CHARACTERISTICS OF BATIK

PRINT

Prajnaparamita statue resembles batik, National Muse-
um of Indonesia, Jakarta

5

HISTORY

From the Javanese origin the OF
word batik is taken. The BATIK
word ‘ambatik’ means to
mark with spots or dots. In a wider The model is wear-
sense, it signifies drawing, painting ing batik songket
or writing. No such word is to be
found in the old Javanese language,
so we can conclude that batik is a
word of fairly recent origin.

Batik is an ancient art that has been
carried forward for thousands of
years. It is practiced in countries
like Indonesia, Middle East,
Thailand, Africa, Malaysia, India,
China, Philippines, and other
countries. The exact origin of
batik is not known, but it is widely
common on the island of Java,
Indonesia. It is believed, when
the art of batik was first practiced
in Java, it only belonged to royal
families and wealthy people.

The Europeans were the first
to learn this art. They learnt it
and introduced it in their own
countries. Some countries like
Japan, India, China and Africa have
their own style and interpretation
of this art. Indians started using
these techniques to translate their
own ideas when they realized the
importance of this art form.

6

Contemporary
design is a non-
traditional style that
focuses on simple,
clean, and neat lines.
Batik is a wax resist
fibre art. It is used to
denote a particular
method of applying
coloured designs to
fabric.

To develop this product main in about 6cm (2 in) absorbents of
focus is given to creativity the fibre or hair which acts as a
and transformation of reservoir for the molten wax.
traditional technique and style of
designing of batik to contemporary The work of waxing is done by men
style and pattern and experiment who belong to the caste of indigo
by mixing different technique dyers. After the first waxing they
patterns and inspirations of prepare the cloth again for further
different places. waxing and painting through
processes such as washing, beating
A contemporary batik artist who and tanning. These processes are
has a workshop will have access comparitively easy and are usually
to appropriate materials and tools. completed by children.
Since the requirements are few, one Batik comprise of a process where
should acquire and employ only the a pattern or design is created with
very best in respect of quality. With liquid wax on the cloth. This is
perseverance and the development done to protect the waxed area
of the craft, the artist/designer can from being colored. So when the
enjoy the unique value that this cloth is dipped in the color, the
medium offers for self-expression. color does not enter the patch area
In India the main centre of batik which is waxed. The wax resists the
today is on the south eastern colour and results into a surface
part of Deccan plateau and the which has dyed and un-dyed areas.
Coromandel Coast. The traditional This is how a pattern is made.
method is used in the south-eastern
Deccan where batik is combined
with colouring and painting. The
pen used for waxing is called
‘kalam’. It consists of a metal needle
set into a bamboo handle, wrapped

7

Javanese
ceremonies are
abound with the
use of batik as WHAT DOES
expressions of love BATIK
and happiness.
At weddings, the SYMBOLIZE?
sekar jagad, literally
meaning flowers of
the universe may be
worn by the bride,
groom, or given as
a gift to convey the
message ofheartfelt
joy at having found
one another.

8

Batikis a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied intangible cultural heritage for elementary, junior,
to the whole cloth. This technique originated senior, vocational school and polytechnic students,
from the island of Java, Indonesia. Batik is in collaboration with the Batik Museum in
made either by drawing dots and lines of the resist Pekalongan” as Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible
with a spouted tool called a canting, or by printing Heritage of Humanity in Register of Good
the resist with a copper stamp called a cap. The Safeguarding Practices List. Batik is an ancient fabric
applied wax resists dyes and therefore allows the wax-resist dyeing tradition of Java, Indonesia. The
artisan to colour selectively by soaking the cloth in art of batik is most highly developed and some of
one colour, removing the wax with boiling water, the best batiks in the world still made there. In Java,
and repeating if multiple colours are desired. all the materials for the process are readily available
– cotton and beeswax and plants from which
Batik is an ancient art form of Indonesia made different vegetable dyes are made. Indonesian batik
with wax resistant dye
on fabrics. Indonesian predates written records:
coastal batik (batik G. P. Rouffaer argues that
pesisir) made in the the technique might have
island of Java has a been introduced during
history of acculturation, the 6th or 7th century
a mixture of native and from India or Sri Lanka.
foreign cultures. It is a On the other hand, the
newer model compared Dutch archaeologist J.L.A.
to inland batik, and it Brandes and the Indonesian
uses more colors, though archaeologist F.A. Sutjipto
the patterns are a lot less believe Indonesian batik
intricate. This is because inland batik used to be is a native tradition, since
made by select experts living in palace areas, while several regions in Indonesia such as Toraja, Flores,
coastal batik can be made by anyone. and Halmahera which were not directly influenced
by Hinduism, have attested batik making tradition
Batik is very important as well.
to Indonesians and many The existence of the oldest
people wear it to formal Batik activities came from
or casual events. Batik Ponorogo which was still
is commonly used by called Wengker before the
Indonesians in various 7th century, the Kingdom
rituals, ceremonies, in Central Java learned
traditions, celebrations, batik from Ponorogo.
and even in daily uses. Because of this, Ponorogo
On October 2, 2009, batik is somewhat similar to
UNESCO officially batik circulating in Central
recognized the batik (written batik (batik tulis) Java, except that the batik produced by Ponorogo
and stamped batik (batik cap)) as a Masterpiece is generally dark black or commonly called batik
of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity from irengan because it is close to magical elements. so
Indonesia, and encouraged the Indonesian people that it was developed by the kingdoms in Central
and the Indonesian government to safeguard, Java and Yogyakarta.
transmit, promote, and develop the craftsmanship of
batik. Since then, Indonesia celebrates “the National
Batik Day” (Indonesian: Hari Batik Nasional)
annually on October 2. Nowadays, Indonesians wear
batik in honor of this ancient tradition.

In the same year, UNESCO also recognized
“Education and training in Indonesian Batik

9

THE

UNIQUE

OF BATIK

Batik craftswomen In Europe, the technique was batik” (batik tulis) techniques.
in Java drawing described for the first time in This batik tulis is known as the
intricate patterns the “History of Java”, published original batik from generation to
using canting and in London in 1817 by Stamford generation from the Indonesian
wax that are kept Raffles, who had been a British nation’s ancestors because the
hot and liquid in a governor of Bengkulu, Sumatra. process and workmanship are
small heated pan, In 1873 the Dutch merchant still very traditional and manual.
on 27 July 2011 Van Rijckevorsel gave the pieces Then the technique developed
he collected during a trip to with the discovery of the stamped
10 Indonesia to the ethnographic batik (batik cap) technique which
museum in Rotterdam. Today made batik work faster. The batik
the Tropenmuseum houses the tulis and batik cap techniques
biggest collection of Indonesian are recognized by UNESCO as a
batik in the Netherlands. The Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible
Dutch and Chinese colonists Heritage of Humanity from
were active in developing batik, Indonesia because it still uses
particularly coastal batik, in the waxes in the making process. How
late colonial era. They introduced is batik unique from other cloths?
new patterns as well as the use of It is crafted in a way such that it
the cap (copper block stamps) to has to undergo the delicate and
mass-produce batiks. Displayed repeated process of waxing dyeing
at the Exposition Universelle at and boiling.
Paris in 1900, the Indonesian
batik impressed the public and
artists. Initially, batik making
techniques only used “written

Canting made of copper with stained with colours.Written batik Traditional
a handle made of bamboo or technique is the most complicated, craftsmanship,
wood. The making of hand- smooth, and longest process to oral traditions and
written batik takes approximately work with, so a piece of original expressions, social
1–3 months depending on the batik tulis cloth is usually sold at a practices, rituals
complexity and detail of batik. higher price. However, this is the and festive events
Because the working techniques advantage of batik with the written
are still traditional and manual, process, which is more exclusive
making hand-written batik takes because it is purely handmade. In
longer and is more complicated Indonesia, premium hand-written
than other batik techniques. batik clothes are usually only worn
In addition, the fundamental by certain people at special events,
difference between written batik in the form of long-sleeved shirts
compared to other batik is that or modern batik dresses. The batik
there are differences in each motif in Indonesia has developed
pattern, for example, a number of depending on its history and place
points or curved lines that are not of origin. Batik is a technique
the same because they are made of wax-resist dyeing applied to
manually. This characteristic of the whole cloth. This technique
hand-written batik makes hand- originated from the island of Java,
written batik more valuable and Indonesia. Batik is made either
unique compared to other batiks. by drawing dots and lines of the
As wax works as a colour blocker resist with a spouted tool called a
in the colouring process, it will canting, or by printing the resist
be used to cover every part of the with a copper stamp called a cap.
fabric that does not want to be

11

12

Evidence of early examples of fabled prince of Java Prince Panja Javanese
batik have been found in the was saved by the protective power ceremonies
Far East, Middle East, Central of the parang batik he had on him. are abound
Asia and India from over 2,000 In another story, the Sultan Agung with the use
years ago. It is possible that these of Mataram contemplated a stretch of batik as
areas developed independently, of jagged rocks on the south coast expressions
without the influence of trade or as a natural guard to the coastline. of love and
cultural exchanges This has made the parang a symbol happiness.
Batik is a type of textile art that of security and safety. Batik mofis
uses wax and dye to produce are also inspired by nature and the
patterns on a piece of plain cloth. kawung pattern is a fine example.
Though the word Batik may have As a type of palm tree that grows in
been derived from the Malay word abundance in South East Asia (and
titik which means to dot, Batik can economically important to the
in fact be found across the world region), the kawung motif similarly
from Africa to Asia. contains an encouraging message
It was however, on the island of that the wearer be as useful to the
Java, Indonesia that Batik reached community as is the kawung palm.
its pinnacle. These early designers
incorporated deep meaning in
their work, creating patterns
closely related to the Javanese
philosophies of life..The parang
motif appears in various forms,
usually depicting a narrow length
and almost sharp edge — just like a
sword. In one famous folklore, the

13

Batik, an Indonesian Patterns and motifs are drawn WHY IS BATIK
traditional cloth art, on a piece of fabric using SO SPECIAL?
is created using a hot wax, and upon drying,
technique of resist- the fabric is bathed in colored dye.
dying. Wax patterns on the fabric remain
untouched by the dye while the
rest of the fabric is colored, the
applied wax is then washed off in
hot water; this process is repeated
to create intricate designs.
More than two millennia after
the origin of this technique, batik
cloths are still created manually
by skilled craftspeople. The craft
has been handed down over the
generations, thus preserving the
age-old tradition and cultural
integrity of this cloth art.
The origin of painted batik cannot
be traced to a specific place, but
the prominence of Indonesian
batik is significant. It is identified
for its unique motifs that are made
by skilled artisans. Batik has a rich
heritage. The art was developed and
perfected with years of practice. It
is the pride of Indonesia and also is
a cultural symbol for many nations.
Attributing to its tasteful and
unique designs, Indonesian batik
finds a prominent place in local
markets as well as world fashion.
International figures and designers
alike have worn and used batik
patterns.

14

Drawing patterns
with hot wax is a
salient aspect of
the batik-making
process.

Some of the significant names
who have been seen wearing
batik fabric include Nelson
Mandela, Kate Middleton, and
Heidi Klum. Designers such as
Diane Von Furstenberg, Burberry
Prorsum, and Nicolle Miller have
used batik patterns in some of their
well-known works.
The batik technique has also
birthed engaging art projects for
children. A DIY batik project will
only need a piece of cloth, gel glue,
and acrylic colors. You can start
by creating patterns with glue on
a piece of cloth. Once the glue
dries, use acrylic colors to paint on
the cloth. Wash off the glue when
the paint is dried and experience
a glimpse of the ancient batik
technique.
Traditional motifs of batik often
tell stories, folklore, and have a
symbolic representation.

15

The word ‘batik’ is derived Wax prevents the dye from staining
from the Javanese (native patterns during the dye bath while
language of Java, an the rest of the cloth is colored.
Indonesian island) word called
‘ambatik’ where ‘amba’ means The cloth is then dried, and all
‘large,’ and ‘tik’ means ‘dot.’ wax is washed off in hot water in a
process called highlighting.
The preparation of a batik cloth
involves three primary steps; The process is repeated regularly
waxing, dying, and highlighting. until the desired pattern is
achieved.
During the waxing process, hot
wax is used to create delicate There are three types of batik. The
patterns on the cloth. differentiation is based on the
technique used for creating the
After the wax is dried, the cloth is textile.
dipped in a dye bath.
Batik tulis, or ‘written batik,’ is the
Based on the original and most ancient one.
complexity of
the design, a
piece of fabric It uses a pen-like copper tool called
can take up to canting for the drawing pattern on
three months to the cloth.
complete.

16

BATIK
TECHNIQUES

The batik tulis technique was Batik paintings are a freer form
evolved to the batik cap of creative expression using the
technique or ‘stamped batik traditional styles of batik technique.
‘ to enable mass production.
In Javanese culture, it is called the
The batik cap technique helped ‘batik lukis.’
reduce the creation time to one to
three days. In principle, the process of creating
these remains the same as other
This concept is similar to an ink batik fabrics.
stamp. A copper stamp with
geometric motifs on one end is Yet, the patterns and materials
dipped in hot wax and pressed on used are more novel and depend
the fabric. on the creator’s imagination and
preference.
The rest of the process of dying and
highlighting (removing the wax) These are used as paintings or in
remains the same as batik tulis.
Traditional batik
patterns use silk
Stamped batik fabrics are cheaper and cotton as the
than written batik because of their base fabric.
repetitive and coarse patterns.

17

PROCESS OF
MAKING BATIK

Step 1 Step 5
The first wax is applied over the penciled-in outline of All the wax that has been applied thus far is removed.
the pattern. Almost always the original cloth is white This is done by heating the wax and scraping it off
or beige. and also by applying hot water and sponging off the
remaining wax.
Step 2
The cloth is dyed in the first dye bath. In this case the Step 6
first dyebath is indigo blue. The area of the cloth where Wax is applied to the area of the fabric that the artist
the wax was applied in Step 1 will remain white. wishes to remain the indigo blue color.


Step 3 Step 7
Second application of wax is applied. In this case it is Wax is applied to the area of the fabric that the artist
a dark brown color. A poorer quality of wax is used to wishes to remain white.
cover larger areas of cloth. The darker color helps to
differentiate it from the first wax applied. Any parts Step 8
that are covered with this wax application will remain The fabric is submerged in the final dye bath. In this
the indigo color. case it is brown. Any areas of the cloth that have not
been covered with wax will become brown.
Step 4
The cloth is dyed in the second dye bath. In this case it Step 9
is a navy blue. Any areas that are not covered by wax The finished cloth after all of the wax has been
will become dark blue. removed.


18

19

CHARACTERISTICS The batik motif can represent a
OF BATIK PRINT sundry of cultural, spiritual,
religious, or elementary
aspects of a community. Just like
any other art, it also is a window
into the lives and minds of artisans.
Below are some interesting folklore
and beliefs attached to different
batik motifs.
As per the ancient culture, patterns
and motifs that were worn by an
individual conveyed societal class.
Some colors and patterns were
even reserved for the royals.
Parang motif is a pattern with a
narrow length and a sharp edge on
one end.

20

Hence this motif achieved
an air of security and
protection; it was
previously reserved for the royals.
The kawung motif is a pattern
inspired by the palm tree that
grows abundantly in South East
Asia and is of great benefit.
It is supposed to inspire the wearer
to be as contributing as the kawung
leaf to the community.
The truntum motif is a celestial
pattern that has incantations of the
stars.
It is considered symbolic of
blossoming love as the folklore at

21

They say that discovering oneself is
the key to realising one’s full poten-
tial. Growing up, Malaysian fash-
ion designer Jeffery Goh struggled
with finding his own identity. At
an early age, he viewed himself as
being different and was frequently
bullied as a result.

BATIK

FASHION

22

After graduation, Jeffery set out Jeffery explained that each piece “We are trying to make sure our
on his journey to find his place of clothing is made by hand. “By clothes fit all of our customers,
in the world of fashion. Working placing the patterns in the most
with other fashion designers was
his way of gaining the necessary
industry exposure.

When he knew he had greater po-
tential to start a business based on
his creativity, Jeffery quit his day
job to do so.

The aspiring designer thought he
could create custom wedding and
evening gowns. But when the pan-
demic struck, he realised it was
not an ideal plan moving forward,
considering how many weddings
were indefinitely postponed fol-
lowing COVID-19 SOPs.

Instead, Jeffery saw his chance to effective and pretty way to show and by doing that, we think of
challenge the menswear category off the prints, each batik piece we different ways to make versatile
for batik in Malaysia when he no- produce is special in its own way,” clothes,” explained the designer.
ticed that there was a severe lack he affirmed. “We don’t only cater to one niche
of fashionable batik clothing for To make the brand stand out even group, but rather we try to be
men on the market. more, the designer stated that he more inclusive of all shapes and
“Most batik clothing for men are only buys a certain amount of ba- sizes.”
just the plain shirts with normal tik materials, and once the mate- I myself adore the Wira top. The
buttons,” he noted, and thought rials have been used up, they will oversized aspect provides me with
to himself, “I would really like not repurchase the same prints, lots of room and mystery to my
to introduce Malaysian culture regardless of how well they sell. overall appearance. Not only does
in more fun, variant colours and “We want to ensure exclusivity for it hide most of my insecurities, but
modern styles or ways, but still our customers through producing it also creates stylish silhouettes
not stray too far from the silhou- less, and it helps the environment that differ based on what you pair
ettes and cutting of our traditional too,” he said. “We try to reduce it with or how you accessorise.
clothing.” waste by producing smaller batch- The cost of running his business is
As clothing alterations became es, more exclusive and limited not only monetary, but also time.
commonplace, Jeffery wanted to pieces so that each piece is unique, “Most designs need about a few
include them in his services too. and also use the scraps to make hours to draft, cut, and sew,” Jef-
Therefore, for a better fit, peo- pouches, bags and masks.”lJeffery fery revealed. “When I was doing
ple who buy inisaya apparel can believes that every brand and ev- it alone, I managed to make 50+
expect complimentary alterations ery designer has a market. There pieces within a week, and that is
and customisations.tus et dolor- must be some qualities that attract without getting enough sleep.”
poreic tem etur, nus, officiet porro the right group of people. Currently, the person helping Jef-
occus accaectiis sa soloreserror For inisaya, the sizing of its gar- fery in yielding more fabric goods
molo volut quiamet fuga. Neque ments is designed for men who is his production assistant, Ain,
voluptatur resci odia dolorios as prefer oversized clothing and for who joined the team to learn how
sae mod et ipiciandio temque ni- women who prefer clothing that the fashion industry operates.
storest harumquiam re voluptates can be adjusted. Meanwhile, Audrey, Jeffery’s
earchil luptatiae derum que sunti-

23

The experience of
wearing batik cloth can
be very comforting,
but it needs some
extra care when being
washed and stored.

The kind of care a
batik cloth deserves
depends on the
quality of fabric
material and dye
color.

24