TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Hotel Tugu Malang runs contemporary Batik exhibition
With its intricate techniques, symbolism and rich cultural values, batik remains at the forefront of the country's lifestyle. It is part of Indonesians from childbirth to death.
Change Size
Contemporary 'Malangan' batik cloths at a batik-themed exhibition at Hotel Tugu Malang on April 17. (JP/Nedi Putra A)
W
ith its intricate techniques, symbolism and rich cultural values, batik remains at the forefront of the country's lifestyle. It is part of Indonesians from birth.
Different designs are created to suit every occasion, each with holding relevant meanings and symbols. Many Indonesian people wear batik with pride, incorporating them into rituals and applying the designs to many things other than clothes.
Batik is often showcased and sold in exhibitions, including one held recently at Hotel Tugu Malang, East Java. In conjunction with the 104th anniversary of Malang city, the Contemporary Batik and Silver Jewelry Exhibit was opened Tuesday at Tirta Gangga, Hotel Tugu Malang. This exhibition will run until April 28.
Crescentia Harividiyanti, executive assistant manager of Hotel Tugu Malang, said Indonesian batik was rich in motifs, styles and variations. She explained that every year the exhibition had different themes, ranging from the court batik to coastal batik.
This year’s theme, contemporary, aims to send the message that batik does not always look traditional. It can also adapt to trends.
The exhibition features 28 craftspeople and about 1,100 pieces of batik garments from East Java, Central Java and Yogyakarta. There are also seven silversmiths and ethnic jewelry makers, showcasing 500 pieces.
The batik pieces range from Rp 300,000 (US$ 21.76) to Rp 20 million. It takes three weeks to seven months to make batik cloth.
Read also: Batik: The European connection
Crescentia hopes the event will promote batik to local and foreign travelers. Moreover, the exhibition will also accommodate craftspeople who had yet to showcase their works, including a batik maker from Trowulan village in Mojokerto regency, East Java.
The Majapahit kingdom-themed batik pieces from Trowulan are intriguing and they have yet to be exhibited. (mut)
