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BATIKBatik is one of Indonesia’s treasures. Statesmen on an official visit to Indonesia often wear batik. It has become a national costume. Wear one to go to a formal occasion such as a wedding, and you can’t go wrong. Its painting technique is similar to other painting techniques in other cultures, i.e. Australian Aboriginal dot painting. But I personally think the Indonesian version is more elaborate. It involves more steps and takes more time. A hand-painted piece may take up to three months to complete.
What Is It? It is a technique of dyeing fabric using wax to cover parts of the fabric to prevent dyes from penetrating the covered areas. To obtain a multi-coloured painting, the dyeing process needs to be repeated several times. That is what makes the painting process long. These days, fabric or textile is not the only object for this artistic and elaborate painting. Paintings are also done on different objects.
There are two methods of batik making: tulis (hand-made) and cap (stamped). With large factories'production in a larger scale, batik tulis is rare these days, but making it highly valued. Indonesian patterns have influence over patterns found in other countries, mainly in Africa and Asia. In the Island of Java, there are four centres. Yogyakarta is one of them. The other three are Solo, Pekalongan and Cirebon.
Traditional patterns or motifs from Yogyakarta and Solo have meanings. These meanings relate to the Javanese perception of the universe. The traditional colours of white, dark brown and indigo in the Yogyakarta style symbolize the three Hindu gods. An example is the motif Parang Rusak Barong. It was created by Sultan Agung Hanyakrakusuma--the 3rd Mataram King who ruled from 1613 to 1645. The sultan created this motif to express his inner experience as a king with his royal duties and as a human being before his creator.
This motif signifies that a king must be wise and able to control his emotions. I have a good collection of different batik styles and motifs. But I am not an expert, so don’t ask me the meanings of each style and motif. I just love looking at them. I know someone who decorates his house walls with different patterns and alternate them.
Batik shops are everywhere in Yogyakarta. Malioboro Street has numerous shops. Some great shops are found in Prawirotaman, Kraton, Tirtodipuran areas. You can buy formal wear and/or sarongs there. While these shops sell clothes, galleries sell paintings used for decoration. Thinking of doing a workshop? Yogyakarta is the right place. I have done a workshop twice. It’s amazingly intricate! And boy, how patient they must be! Now I really appreciate people who devote their lives on this sophisticated art form. Where can you do a workshop? In Yogyakarta, there are numerous places for you to do a workshop. A number of restaurants such as Via-via in Prawirotaman Street also arranges a course for you. That’s where I did my first course. Indonesian Language in Yogyakarta normally arrange some courses. My students and I did a workshop at the Language School run by Sanata Dharma University. That’s where we conducted our in-country training. On Jalan Tirtodipuran you’ll find a number of batik workshops where you can watch the process of batik painting. On Jalan Tirtodipuran no 48 and no 54 are Plentong and Wipotosastro. You can also buy quality products there. They might be a bit pricey, though. Balai Batik on Jalan Kusumanegara also offers a course. Another place is Sanggar Kalpika in Kampung Taman, west of Taman Sari—the Water Castle. In the Tamansari area you’ll also find plenty of shops selling materials and utensils. How much does it cost to do a course? It depends on the course types. But it ranges from Rp300,000 to Rp 2,000,000. That’s around USD $40 – USD $280.
Trust me, you’ll enjoy it. Who knows it may be an experience of a lifetime. If you just want to observe artists doing their job, you can go to a larger shop. Sometimes, some larger shops have a special stand where one or more artists perform their artistic talent.
Speaking of which …. Mirota Batik This lovely shop is my favourite souvenir shop in Yogyakarta. It has almost all types of souvenirs Yogyakarta can offer. Formal wear, Javanese music CDs, Keris diggers, you name it, this shop has it. It is located almost at the end of Jalan Malioboro, across the traditional Beringharjo Market.
I love the traditional music played at the shop. And I find the smell of incense burning and exotic flowers make this shop unique. And, when I spend more than Rp1 million, I’d ask for a discount. Normally I’ll get 5% discount. You may want to do the same. Politely ask the counter lady to give you a discount. Say, “Bu, ini lebih dari satu juta kan. Minta diskon ya.” Or “Bu, ini lebih dari satu juta, ada diskon kan?” Basically it says, “Miss, I’ve spent more than Rp1 million, can you give me some discount?” Interested to find out more? Click the following links:
Did you know that on 2 October 2009, Indonesian batik was officially recognized by the UNESCO as an "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity"? Read the full text from Jakarta Globe here In 2003 and 2005, the UNESCO also officially acknowledged two other Indonesian cultural heritages, namely Keris (dagger) and Wayang (shadow puppet show)as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who wore batik during his visit to the earth quake stricken city Padang, has called on all Indonesians wherever they are to wear batik on October 2, 2009 to celebrate it. Read the full article from Kompas daily here. Batik Goes Global For the last few years, batik has gone global. Some international celebrities have worn or showcased batik collections. Jessica Alba was spotted wearing batik @ Step Up event. A famous Belgian designer Dries Van Noten's Paris Spring 2010 collections feature batik. To find out more, go to:
Jessica Alba wearing batik @ Step Up Event
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