Batik Art

Batik is an ancient wax-resist dyeing technique, with a history of thousands of years. But the true origin of batik cannot be clearly traced back. Some historians believe that the art form originated from India or Sri Lanka during the 6th or 7th century; while other historians attribute Indonesia as the place of origin of batik, owing to the country's rich and refined history of the art form.

On October 2, 2009, UNESCO officially recognized the batik as a 'Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity' from Indonesia. And since then Indonesia celebrates Hari Batik Nasional (or National Batik Day) annually on October 2.

The word batik is derived from a Javanese word bathikan meaning 'drawing' or 'writing' or 'mark-making'. And so is batik made. The process of making batik involves creating design on the cloth (likely cotton, silk, linen or rayon), using cantings (derived from Javanaese word tjantings), which is a pen like tool having a little copper reservoir and spout attached to a wooden handle. The reservoir is filled with hot molten wax and then it is glided over the cloth to make the design.

The artisan then dyes the cloth and the applied wax resist the dye color. The wax is later removed by putting the cloth in boiling water, and thus the beautiful pattern emerges between the dyed and undyed areas. This whole process can be repeated with multiple colours and designs to create rich pattern.

With the new age artisans and modern setup, the techniques of applying wax and dyes have also expanded. Techniques like spraying, etching, marbling using brushes, stencils, stamps, etc. with different types of waxes are used nowadays to create more contemporary patterns.

In India, batik is practiced in multiple states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh; with each region having its own distinct style and color palettes. Earlier batik prints were seen on sarees, shirts and dresses; but nowadays it's increasingly getting popular for murals and paintings, and for home linen as well.

Image Credits: Nelson Mandela wearing Batik with George W. Bush at Oval Office on May 17 2005 | Public domain (PD),Women drawing batik pattern | Free Stock Image