Learning Batik In Giriloyo

The end of 2018 is filled with a touch of a slightly more expressive activity, namely Batik training as a cultural heritage. With the theme "From Local to World", the activity held on December 8th, 2018 is not the first, but the continuation of activities on December 1st, 2018.

Early in the morning at around 8:30 A.M., all participants gathered at Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta secretariat to get directions on what they should do in the place of batik and present the meaning of local motifs they had drawn. Twenty-eight students and the team departed and wish to be able to make a good batik at Giriloyo, Imogiri.

The activity began with showroom visit of Batik ‘Sungsang’ to see the works of batik artisans. There are clothes, fabrics, dresses, even many products from natural dyes. Next the students walked along the road and alley to the batik workshop where women made batik. The owner of the batik business, Sunhaji and his wife and some batik women artisans welcomed friendly. Indah, one of Stube-HEMAT teamwork guides the event, gives several brief introductions. While enjoying the traditional dishes served, Sunhaji provided material on the brief history of batik in Giriloyo and his experiences in pursuing the world of batiks. From the presentation given, participants seemed to be more enthusiastic and could not wait to draw their own motifs.

Even though it was the first time, most of the participants looked very smoothly drawing with hot wax on cloth using ‘canting’. Some participants were still assisted by ‘pecanting’, woman batik artisans. The process of sticking turned out to be fun, as the wax was smeared in the fabric, the batik imagination was increasingly challenged to continue to explore the motif until it was finished.

After lunch, the coloring process was the final touch of that day activities. Between the two color choices, red and blue, blue dominated the choice for coloring. Some steps must be taken: the first step, the fabric was moistened with water mixed with TRO detergent and then lifted; second step, the fabric was put into naptol water then lifted; the third step, the cloth that would be colored with red was put into water mixed with R red salt and the cloth that would be colored with blue was put in water mixed with B blue salt; the fourth step, the process of cleaning the wax by putting the cloth into boiling water that has been mixed with soda ash; and the final step was drying the fabric.

While waiting for the fabric drying, Marianus L. Lejap, the training coordinator guided the question and answer session, followed by Trustha Rembaka that guided the follow-up plan session. All participants were ready to carry out follow-up activities by making new motifs. The training was closed with a photo session with the team, participants and owners and woman artisans of Sungsang Batik. Good luck for all participants after studying in Giriloyo. (SIP).