Unravelling Batik
Fashion insider Michelle Duguid delves into the ancient Indonesian art of batik, still alive and well in the world of contemporary fashion
Batik is both a type of fabric and an ancient dyeing technique celebrated for its intricate patterns and vibrant colours. It has a long and complex history, often compared to other culturally significant textiles like ikats and suzanis. The term ‘batik’ comes from the Javanese word ‘titik’, meaning ‘to dot’, which refers to the distinctive resist-dyeing method used to create the complex patterns on fabric.
The creation of batik fabrics begins with an array of stamps, carved from foam and wood, featuring motifs that are dipped into melted wax to create intricate patterns. Some of these motifs trace back to the legendary Ashanti Kingdom. The stamps are applied by hand to cotton fabrics, and artists use various techniques—such as brushes, dripping, and crinkling wax—to enhance the designs. After each wax application, the fabric is immersed in dye, with multiple layers of colour building up. Once the wax is removed by washing, the result is a vibrant and unique handmade fabric, each piece telling its own story through its layered patterns.
Batik has a long history in East Asia, with evidence of its practice in China dating back to the Sui Dynasty (AD 581-618). Silk batiks, in the form of decorative screens, have also been found in Nara, Japan, from the Nara period (AD 710-794). These pieces are believed to have been created by Chinese artists and feature motifs such as trees, animals, flute players, hunting scenes, and stylised mountains.
While no direct evidence of very old cotton batiks has been found, there are depictions in ancient art that suggest early use of batik-like patterns. Frescoes in the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, show head wraps and garments that may have been batiks. Similarly, temples such as those at Borobudur and Prambanan in Java feature figures wearing garments with patterns reminiscent of batik designs, hinting at the technique’s early influence.
Batik reached its peak in Indonesia, particularly on the island of Java, where it flourished as a textile art. The technique was first mentioned in a cargo bill in the mid-17th century, as Chinese, Arab, Indian, and European traders exchanged textiles. In the 19th century, Dutch manufacturers attempted to mechanise batik production using copper rollers and resin resist to produce cheaper, mass-produced prints. However, these cheaper prints could not match the artistry of traditional Indonesian batik, and were largely unsuccessful in local markets. Instead, they gained popularity in West Africa, where they evolved into a unique tradition known as ‘wax-print’, which continues today.
In the 1890s, batik sparked a creative movement in Europe, particularly in Amsterdam, where a group of young artists introduced the technique to interior design, furnishings, and later fashion. This innovation led to widespread adoption by European and American artists, reaching its peak popularity between 1918 and 1925 in Holland, Germany, France, Poland and the UK. After a decline in the mid-20th century, batik experienced a revival in the 1960s, with artists such as Noel Dyrenforth in London founding The Batik Guild in 1986. This small group of students grew into an international community of batik enthusiasts. In Asia, too, the craft saw a resurgence, as artists embraced both traditional techniques and contemporary innovations.
Today, batik continues to thrive as both a traditional and modern art form practiced worldwide although it can be argued that it reached its greatest heights of creativity in the islands of Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia. As with other textiles from this region, batik cloth is also rich in symbolism, with certain designs and colours connected with specific ritual or social functions, whether worn or presented as a gift. Maroon batik, for example, is reserved for court use in Java. Certain other traditional motifs found in Javanese batiks also indicate the rank of the textile’s owner.
Today, batik is both a traditional and modern art form, practiced globally. Artists like Lisa King and Annie Phillips continue to innovate within the craft. Lisa King, a batik print artist, merges her cultural heritage of Indonesia and London through her unique batik practice. Growing up surrounded by her mother’s collection of antiques and crafts from around the world, Lisa developed an early appreciation for beautiful, colourful objects. She went on to study art at the renowned Central St Martins in London. While her interest in batik had always been present, it wasn’t until 2020, during lockdown, that she fully immersed herself in the technique, using the time to explore and develop her practice.
It was around this time that Lisa was given a storage container belonging to her late mother, which contained 100 boxes of Southeast Asian textiles, including a 500-piece batik collection of sarongs, kains (a piece of material used for skirts, perhaps to wrap a package or line a baby’s bed), and selendangs (a long narrow cloth usually worn over the shoulder). This collection, was an archive of textiles her grandmother and great-grandmother would have worn, and pieces her mother collected annually from Indonesian artisans. King recalls the moment with mixed emotions. “What do I do with it? Am I allowed to cut these things up?” she asked in an article in Vogue. This unexpected gift marked a turning point, inspiring her to delve deeper into batik as a medium for her artistic expression.
Some of the batik pieces from Lisa King’s collection have been donated to museums, incorporated into a menswear collection with the British brand New & Lingwood, and kept by Lisa for future exhibitions to highlight the intricate craftsmanship of batik. Currently, King is collaborating with one of the oldest batik factories in Yogyakarta, near Bali, to bring the art to a new audience. The factory is run by an 80-year-old woman who inherited it from her parents and King is focused on learning the traditional Indonesian methods of batik to integrate them into her own practice, honouring her late mother’s love for the craft.
Annie Phillips is a modern batik artist who has spent much of her professional life honing her craft. She has trained and collaborated with artists in both Ghana and Indonesia, exchanging techniques and ideas. Phillips has also worked with architects and designers, and her original batiks have been printed and glazed on various surfaces for decorative purposes. Her distinctive batik process blends traditional techniques with modern technology, while preserving the joyful use of colour and pattern that defines this ancient art form.
“Batik is a medium that can create many types of looks depending on the artist’s heritage and culture. For example, Indonesian batiks look very different to African batiks that look very different to mine. Because I am from the UK the inspiration for my batiks comes from 20th century abstract painters such as Kandinsky and Picasso. When I find a tjanting in my hand full of hot wax, something happens to my physiological being. I relax, I calm and then I begin to play! Batik has always been a process that has allowed me to approach creating with freedom and experimentation, with my destination unknown.”
