Batik: art on fabric

Batik is the great leveller in Indonesian society. It is the formal attire of Jakarta urbanites and simple villagers working the paddy fields.

Batik is one of the most prominent expressions of cultural identity in Indonesia. Nowhere in the world has the art of batik evolved to such high standards, fine-tuned over the centuries under the patronage of the Javanese royal courts. Today, the making and wearing of batik remains a source of national pride, a vital and unifying medium found in every conceivable form: sarong, dress, shirt, scarf, table-cover, wall hangings and more. 

The Indonesian word batik (from tik, meaning dot) was originally a term used to describe the dye-resist technique; today, the term is used for both the process and the decorated fabric. The value of each piece is determined by the method of creation; the most highly prized and expensive is the labour-intensive batik tulis (literally “to write”) using a canting tool. The best pieces are created by small cottage-industry workshops in Java. A cheaper alternative is the block-printed batik, produced using a metal printing stamp called cap. Batik cetak (printed batik) is mass-produced screen-printed fabric imitating traditional designs. 

Each area of Java has its own unique style of batik which communicates ethnic identity and social status, while the folds of the kain panjang (waistcloth) convey one’s gender. Special motifs with symbolic meaning, once reserved for the royal courts of Java, are today worn by all for ceremonies such as weddings, circumcisions, childbirth and burials.

Cultural treasures 

When UNESCO recognised Indonesian batik as a “Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” in 2009, the country swelled with pride and all citizens were requested to wear batik on Fridays to preserve this cultural icon. The result has been an enormous increase in the small and medium business local economy, as well as in exports, as designers began incorporating new fabrics, colours and motifs to meet the rising demand for the traditional cloth.

While traditional Javanese batiks range widely in colours and motifs from coast to coast, contemporary cloths can consist of classic designs in contemporary hues or entirely new creations influenced from abroad. Whether the preference is traditional or contemporary, however, collectors and fashion icons continue to acknowledge that the painstakingly hand-drawn batik tulis is textile art at its finest.