Collection: Individual Batik Cloth and Batik Art Panels

Batik cloth is everywhere in Indonesia.  Machine made or printed batik is quite inexpensive.  A highly complex and detailed "batik tulis" (hand-made batik), which can take months to make, can cost in the thousands of dollars.  The work of some of the batik masters or antique batiks can cost even more.  We collect batik cloths that remind us of the batik maker or the region, that speak to us personally, that we feel will be interesting to Canadians - and, are affordable.

Take a trip through Java, Indonesia with us and see our diverse and unique collection of handcrafted batik cloths.

Most batik cloth is individually produced on cotton and measures approximately 2 to 2 1/4 meters long (78 - 88 inches) and about one meter wide (39-41 inches).  Edges may or may not be finished.

Some of the cloths have a “pagi-sore” (morning and late afternoon) motif.  Half of the cloth has one design and the other half has a different but often related design.  These designs were very popular during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia because of the difficulty of obtaining batik supplies including cloth.  The batik makers designed the batik cloth with two different motifs.  In the morning the wearer could use one side of the motif, then, in the afternoon or evening could wear a different motif from the other side of the cloth.  The darker colour was usually worn for the morning or early afternoon, while the pastel coloured side was worn at night events.

Batik Art:    Somewhere, creativity of craft and creativity of art intersect – at least in the world of batik. We have included a section below called “Batik Art” to illustrate how we see this intersection. 

The first small collection is the work of Agus Ismoyo and Nia Fliam from the Brahma Tirta Sari Studio in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.  Brahma Tirta Sari Studio (BTS) was established in 1985 and is a division of the Babaran Segaragunung Culture House (BSG).  Babaran Segaragunung (BSG) is a non-profit arts organization also based in Yogyakarta, “whose main purpose is to support the exploration of the local wisdom of Indonesia's pluralistic cultural traditions. ” (https://yogyakartaopenstudio.com/brahma-tirta-sari-studio/)   

Agus and Nia are noted for their batiks and fibre art but also their collaborative work with African, Australian Aboriginal and Native American artists as well as other artists from many countries. Their work combines traditional practices, patterns & symbols with contemporary ones.  When we are asked to try and explain some of their batik works, we respond that it is a bit like trying to explain jazz – batik jazz.