collection of batik from renowned creator Go Tik Swan, who was also known as Panembahan Hardjonagoro, is currently on display at the Textile Museum in Tanah Abang, West Jakarta ahead of National Batik day, which falls on Oct. 2.
Officially opened on Sept. 20, the 'Nunggak Semi' exhibition is set to run until Oct. 12 and displays 49 pieces of intricately handcrafted batik dating back to the 1950s. Indonesia's traditional cloth is listed as UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).
Go Tik Swan’s batik, which are known as Batik Indonesia, flourished by the request of Indonesia's first president Sukarno, who strove to develop nationalistic batik motifs.
Happy Farida Djarot, Jakarta Handicraft Council (Dekranasda) head, in her opening remarks emphasized the importance of preserving the national heritage. Batik drawing process through the use of malam or canting, Happy said, requires skills and concentration that must be maintained.
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"We must truly preserve it, care for it, as well as inherit it to future generations so that it does not stop here," Happy, who is the wife of Jakarta Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat, said in her speech on Wednesday.
Kate Hreszczuk, 34, an Australian citizen currently residing in Jakarta, had come to the museum on Wednesday morning during the exhibition opening.
Without knowing that it was slated to open that day, Hreszczuk and her mother, Karen McGlynn, 59, were pleasantly surprised to find the exhibition, as well as other side events that were held, in which they also took part in a batik making workshop prior to viewing the gallery.
"We have a whole new appreciation of how batik is made. It was very difficult and you need a very steady hand," Hreszczuk told The Jakarta Post.
Her mother agreed, adding that batik is really intricate in its beauty and design. McGlynn, who is visiting from Australia, is particularly familiar with batik as she buys the fabric to make quilts at home.
"But now, I might even try making the fabric," she said. (asw)
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