Behind the Craft

What Is Batik?

Batik is a traditional process

of drawing motifs onto fabrics

using a wax-resist dyeing method.

The word itself originated

either from Javanese word

Tik, meaning to dot,

or Amba, meaning to write.

Although the art of Batik is uniquely Indonesian, there has been a multitude of different iterations of the art of wax-resist dyeing. Wax-resist dyeing has been traced back to 4th century B.C. in Egypt, as well as in the Chinese Tang Dynasty, the Nara Period in Japan, and the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria.

Traditionally, Javanese women would make Batik fabrics only for personal use and ceremonial purposes. The craft became a way of storytelling, embedding meaning and values through motifs drawn using hot wax, combining the hand, the mind and the heart in its practice.

In 2009, Batik was added to the list of UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Types of Batik

Batik Tulis

This is the finest type of Batik. The motif is drawn by hand, the hot wax is applied using a small pen called ‘tjanting’. A real Batik Tulis piece take months to make and is individually unique as each bears the handwriting of the woman who made it.

Batik Tjap

Here, the hot wax is applied using a copper stamp. Due to the fast and heavy nature of the work, most Batik Tjap is made by men. As the process is a lot faster and standardized, 1 artisan can create up to 20 fabrics a day.

Printed 'Batik'

Due to the rise of demand, today traditional textiles are mass produced in thousands through digital and screenprinting.

Printed at a fraction of the cost, these fabrics appropriate traditional motifs while pressing artisans out of the market as their hands are unable to compete with machines.

Crafting Batik Tulis

(1/8) Designing

Historically, fabrics were used as a means of storytelling. That’s why each of our collections have intentions behind it. Like a prayer or reminder of the values you wish to wear that day.

(2/8) Tracing

Starting with a piece of white cloth, the motif is first drawn using a pencil as guiding lines.

(3/8) Preparing the Wax

Meanwhile, a special kind of wax is heated on a small stove. Its composition varies from village to village. Ours is made from beeswax, pine gum and paraffin.

(4/8) Hand-drawing

The wax is heated on a small stove and applied on the cloth using a tjanting. Each line becomes a meditation.

(5/8) Natural dyeing

During the dyeing process, the wax protects the covered areas and preserves the textile’s background color.

(6/8) Color fixation

To ensure the longevity of the plant-dyes, a post-dye mordant is applied to lock in the colors. We use lime and vinegar for Indigo (blue) and Symplocos leaves for reds.

(7/8) Wax Removal

The motif is finally revealed by boiling the fabric, returning the wax into its liquid state and removing it.

(8/8) Drying

The fabric is now hung for 100 hours to ensure its color fastness. Afterwards, they are shipped to Rumah SukkhaCitta in Tegal Kertha village to be stitched into your most meaningful clothes.

Intentions

LETTING GO

ALUNAN

Each falling petal brings lightness to the heart. Inviting you to let the present moment in, without having to control what's next. Open yourself to the possibilities of unexpected joy that is waiting to bloom in your life.

TRUST

ANGKASA

Let the moon, the stars and the sky guide your steps. Follow what makes your heart sing, instead of what is expected. One day, you'll look back and witness the magnificent masterpiece that is your life.

A reinterpretation of the traditional Pekalongan Jlamprang motif, which by itself is inspired by Gujarati handwoven patolas.

INTERWOVEN

ANYAM

More than ever, we’ve come to understand how interconnected we are. How one person’s action can reverberate through all of our lives. But only through acting as a global community can we push forward together, to honour our Earth and work toward a legacy for a world we believe in.

FAITH OVER FEAR

BHUMI

You make the world a brighter place. Every act of kindness passes on to others. Like seeds in the wind, creating a ripple effect far beyond your wildest dreams. Each thought, each action, is a seed for a world you believe in.

EMPOWERMENT AND COURAGE

KUPU

You were born with an innate power to create change, both in your life and in the lives of others. Be brave, even when you don't know the outcome. Break the armor - and let yourself be seen. Courage is contagious.

Just like the flaps of a butterfly can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world, small acts of courage are sure to have ripple effects we cannot always foresee.

SELF LOVE

RANUM

You cannot rush a flower to bloom. It needs time and nourishment to break through the soil and grow into what it was meant to be. Even when it feels you're behind or still at the beginning, trust that all you need to bloom is already inside you.

HOPE

SERIBU BUNGA

You may pass through life lightly, or through a path filled with thorns and scars. But remember that it is never too late to return to the root of your heart and begin again. To bloom in the midst of change.

Jasmine flowers. A motif of pride, used to pass on the craft from mother to daughter. Forgotten, then brought to new life – symbolizing a new bloom of our artisans’ heritage.

Behind the Craft

Why Batik?

See Impact

Unable to earn a living, artisans in villages across Indonesia are forced to abandon Batik.

Instead of letting craft be a sunset industry, hung in museums, we wanted to bring back this storytelling tradition through our modern reinterpretation of this heritage.

In today's age where mass and fast bombard our choices, we want to inspire our community to seek provenance by knowing that each piece is hand-crafted by the women in our villages.