Andika Ananda and Jaeko, Opening performance for Dias Prabu, _Flowing Lifelines_, Broken Hill City Art Gallery, 5 August 2022. Photo: Otis Filley.
Please enjoy the stories about this process of textile dyeing that features beautiful drawn and stamped images of our natural world.
There may be women seated in one of the deep verandas, carefully applying hot wax to fabric draped across a bamboo frame, following pencilled lines that flow across the surface of the cloth. Elsewhere you might catch the scent of a larger stove of wax, where tjap—large copper and wooden stamps—slip motifs into the fibres of cloth under the practised hand of Ismoyo or one of his assistants.
Elly Kent Batik journeys
See also International Year of Batik 2024-2025 & Batik in Encyclopedia of Craft in Asia Pacific Region
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Surabaya style in the Sunshine State - Carla van Lunn heralds the warm browns and calming indigos that Janet Teowarang brings to Queensland.
Kultura Collectiva - Dias Prabu writes about his Yogyakarta art collective that seeks to reconnect with the disappearing cultures of Indonesia.
Topeng Malangan: Batik behind the mask - Astrid Kusumowidagdo writes about innovative and socially aware Topeng Malangan batik production, guided by Janet Teowarang.
Plunging into batik with Zahir Widadi - Carla van Lunn received a batik master’s meticulous indigo fabrics which she helped fashion into clothing for Western bodies.
Dias Prabu ✿ Re-imagining memories of past encounters - Bianca Winataputri writes about Dias Prabu's exhibition of batiks, which tells the story of Makassan fishermen whose journey left a legacy of shared traditions.
Bombay, batik & biotechnics: Gender and nationhood in modernist textiles - As part of our Reinventing the Wheel series, Antonia Behan, Vishal Khandelwal and Michael Mamp reflect on the careers of Ethel Mairet, Nelly Sethna and Ethel Wallace respectively.
Raci’s mangrove apple: A batik message from the coast of Pasuruan to the fashion catwalk - Lauren Veronica Sidarsono writes from the village of the "little King" that celebrates the mangrove fruit with fashionable batik.
Mancapat: Heritage batik from today’s soil - A Singapore exhibition features the heritage textile Batik Tenun Gedog that has been produced according to circular principles using homegrown cotton.
A future for waste: Upcycling fashion for Gen Z in Indonesia - Janet Teowarang reflects on the increased interest in sustainable fashion and methods that combine machine and hand weaving. 
The soul of Feng Huang: An art of contemporary batik pesisir pattern - Enrico Ho captures the unique dialogue of Javanese and Chinese cultures in a mythical bird that fuses opposites.
Jember Batik: The dragon rises - Geraldus Sugeng describes the unique batik designs that come from the town of Jember and are now seen around the world.
Quarterly essay ✿ Batik journeys between the three worlds: Here, there and everywhere - Elly Kent follows the path of batik as a way to explore the complex dynamic of Indonesian culture and to discover a much-needed optimism for our time.
Batik journeys between the three worlds: Here, there and everywhere - Elly Kent follows the path of batik as a way to explore the complex dynamic of Indonesian culture and to discover a much-needed optimism for our time. 
Brahma Tirta Sari: At home with nature and ancestors - Agus and Nia Ismoyo share the philosophy that underpins their life-long dedication to batik.
Batik exchange: Wahyu Subiyantoro Soediro - Carla van Lunn collaborates with the creator of striking bold Madurese batik.
Zahir Widadi ✿ Fine batik for an intricate blue world - Hanny Kusumawati profiles master batik artist Zahir Widadi, who preserves the local wisdom of natural-dyed batik from his modest home workshop in Pekalongan.
Batik and tenun as sustainable textiles in East Java - Janet Teowarang interviews Melie Indarto, the owner of KaIND, the sustainable textile in Pasuruan, East Java.
The Elephant Shark story: batik between Java and Bali - Marty Hope attempts to revive the old days of Bali by returning to the craft of batik, impressed with the efficiency of Javanese workshops.
Fashion electric: Two Indonesian fashion designers energise traditions - Fresh from an Australia-Indonesia fashion exchange, Carla van Lunn reflects on two Indonesian designers, Novita Yunus and Lenny Agustin, who are creating vibrant clothes from textile traditions.
Love me and my batik - Love Me in My Batik tells the story of batik painting as a distinct modern art form in Malaysia and beyond, from its emergence in the 1950’s to the present day. Beginning with the pioneering batik paintings of Chuah Thean Teng, the exhibition examines how the medium was embraced and reinvented by generations of artists across successive periods in Malaysia’s post-war history. ✿ Like the article? Make it a conversation by leaving a comment below. If you believe in supporting a platform for culture-makers, consider becoming a subscriber. Related storiesOtobong Nkanga ✿ Soap stacks of the wider worldTopeng Malangan: Batik behind the maskWorks from the International Art Textile Biennale 2023Canberra cares: The craft and design of resilienceMichele Elliot: A […]