Indonesian Batik Locally Made Exquisite Fabric

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Indonesian Batik Locally Made Exquisite Fabric

Shop local and support local business

This blog is based on my first hand experience that I gathered during my tour of local communities involved in creation of Batik products. My knowledge of Batik art was also enhanced by the knowledge shared by my friend, Francisca Pilare, who is from the Philippines. She is also involved in promoting Batik Art. NomadLawyer has collaborated with her in this endeavor. It would be impossible to visit or live in Indonesia and not be exposed to one of the country’s most highly developed art forms, Batik. We urge our readers to shop local and support local communities. It will help them in their livelihood.

If you wish to buy any Batik products and support a local community, you can reach us: connect@nomadlawyer.org

What is Batik?

The term “Batik” is an Indonesian-Malay word. Batik is a process of decorating cloth by covering a part of it with a coat of wax and then dyeing the cloth. The waxed areas keep their original color and when the wax is removed the contrast between the dyed and undyed areas gives the pattern. One of the significant features of this art is that it is very simple and can be done by anyone.

Brief History of Batik Art

The term batik is said to derive from the Indonesia word known as “amba” means to write and “titik” means dots. These dots refer to the dots used to make a pattern with the molten wax. However, batik art has spread out of the Indonesian territory and has moved to regions like India, Philippines and many more countries. The popular places in India where batik is highly popular are Shantiniketan in West Bengal, Mundra in Gujarat, Injambakkam in Tamil Nadu and Indore in Madhya Pradesh.

Batik art recognised by UNESCO

Batik is a traditional artform and craft that originated from Asia. The art of decorating cloth in this way, using wax and dye, has been practised for centuries. UNESCO recognized Indonesian batik as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Impact on Environment:

Its production has a major impact on the environment, as batik businesses produce more CO2 emissions.

When it doesn’t become environment friendly

synthetic dyes contain heavy metals, most of the waste is directly discharged into the environment without going through proper processing first. This can cause a negative environmental effect on the surrounding communities.

When it becomes environment friendly

Natural dyes are dyes or colorants derived from plants, invertebrates, or minerals. The majority of natural dyes are vegetable dyes from plant sources—roots, berries, bark, leaves, and wood—and other biological sources such as fungi and lichens.

A wide spectrum impact of batik has shifted from traditional values to modern one comprising eco-friendly methods in batik making process. It is expected that this will create a significant impact to the future of batik business.

What does NomadLawyer offer?

We will help to sell Batik products on our website. Promoting Batik products that represent Indonesian cultural heritage, environmentally friendly whilst supporting local communities is what we hold close to our hearts.

Also Read: https://nomadlawyer.org/staging/blogs/shop-local-an-initiative-by-nomadlawyer/