KOREA FOUNDATION

- Drawing wax patterns on fabric with a tjanting (pen-like tool) © STUPPA Indonesia

This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Korea. With various commemorative events ongoing in both countries, Hyundai Motor Company made headlines in August by unveiling a limited-edition electric vehicle, the IONIQ 5, featuring a batik pattern. Batik is also often used in bilateral cooperation projects, with Korean Hanbok (traditional Korean attire) designers and Indonesian batik designers collaborating to introduce batik made with Hanbok fabric.
So what is batik, exactly? This traditional Indonesian handicraft technique is used to create patterns by applying beeswax to fabric before dyeing it. The history of batik goes back many years, and batik is said to have been found in the remains of ancient Egyptian civilization and decorative sculptures from the Tang Dynasty in China. The word originally comes from the Javanese ambatik, meaning “cloth with spots or stains.”

Batik patterns are extremely diverse and each carry a unique meaning. Many relate to the life cycle of humans; for example, the patterns used by expecting mothers up to the seventh month of pregnancy differ from those used to swaddle a baby after birth. The pattern worn by brides is known as sidomukti—sido meaning “always” and mukti meaning “happiness and prosperity”—while the truntum pattern used at weddings by parents of the bride and groom holds the meaning of “passing on.” When a person dies, the slobog pattern signifies the soul of the deceased passing smoothly into the afterlife.

Batik techniques have predominantly been passed down within families, but as younger generations increasingly devote most of their time to school, opportunities to learn batik at home are dwindling. However, thanks to the efforts of the Batik Museum in Pekalongan, batik is now included in the regular school curriculum. This has greatly contributed to the popularization of batik in Indonesia, fostering interest in the industry and serving as an opportunity for youth to better acquire the know-how and skills of the craft. In 2009, UNESCO selected this case as an example of best practices of intangible cultural heritage protection.

The Indonesian government and local authorities also work with local communities to increase their income through batik. Examples include batik experiential programs implemented in connection with tourism. In the Giriloyo region, where the history of batik dates back over 300 years, batik-themed experiential tourism products have been created, with many tourists participating.

Nowadays, a variety of efforts and initiatives are being made to promote the creative inheritance of traditional batik, such as young designers using batik to create modern clothing exhibited at fashion shows. At the International Batik Biennale in Yogyakarta, Indonesia’s leading cultural city, such young designers are at the forefront of batik fashion trends, showcasing unique garments. We look forward to seeing more creative batik works in the future, both in Indonesia and other countries around the globe.