Once upon a time, storytelling in Singapore

View of the exhibition at aNERDgallery and my zine

Visit to the botanic garden gallery, 

this photo made by Sophie, Shahira's daughter & self-proclaimed snowflake artist 

Balinese dancegroup Eka Suwara Santhi telling the story of Dewi Sri at aNERDgallery

It has been almost two weeks since I returned home. As always the jetlag takes some time to recover from, but had to get started right away my upcoming exhibition. More on that at the end of this blog.

After Java, on Monday 18 August me & Tony went back to Singapore. I prepared an exhibition ‘Once upon a time, Untold tales of Batik Cerita’ for at aNERDgallery that opened on Friday 22 August. 

The exhibition on storytelling in batik, features batiks that I have collected over the years. I am not a collector of old batiks, I buy of current makers by choice, but I was gifted batiks. The last gift included to my big surprise a batik with a fairytale scene on it. Well only the happy ever after, in the kepala, which I recognized from a batik that has the full story on it. 

Since it was folded up, stored away for over a century, I thought it should be shown as soon as possible. 

From my small collection of older batiks, I brought several examples of storytelling, from batik paintings with goddesses and a delman chauffeur (horse cart), some own works & batik souvenirs with romanticized Javanese & Dutch sceneries. 

In my short visit to Singapore between Kuala Lumpur & Java I already met up with storyteller Hafiz Rashid & illustrator Quek Hong Shin to see if we could work together on program, so had that to look forward to also. 

For the exhibition I also made a new zine. I think I had this idea for ever, at least since I made a postcard in 2021 on this subject, Little Red Riding Hood on Batik. Now I finally made the zine! And matching colouring pages!!

Exhibition ‘Once upon a time, Untold tales of Batik Cerita’ at aNERDgallery

Exhibition ‘Once upon a time, Untold tales of Batik Cerita’ at aNERDgallery

Between preparing for the exhibition, I headed to the event by Adel of Muta Wear. It was suppose to be held at the gallery when we were still on Java, but was postponed. ‘Sambal Tambal’ invited the participants to share first their favorite sambal and later a memory with a parent. It was a lovely intimate session around healing family bonds even if it is without re-connecting. It was wonderful to join this last event of Adel’s project around the patchwork blankets of her grandmother and her up-cycling facemask project for aNERDgallery. 

Literary salon 'Patch it up, Sambal Tambal' in which the story of Adels grandmother quilt 

and the batikmotif tambal were the base for a project on healing

The opening on Friday was surprisingly busy. Thank you all for coming. Me & Tony dressed in storytelling batiks from Cirebon, I wore one with the lantern festival, while Tony borrowed the astronaut batik. Hafiz did an improve storytelling using one of the batiks, inviting the audience to bring in their thought on paper. It was so much fun. 

Happy face during the opening of ‘Once upon a time, Untold tales of Batik Cerita' 

at aNERDgallery, captured by Kalyani Kausikan

Tony before the opening in the astronaut batik 

paired with jacket from Berkain & Berkebaya Bersama Nona Srikaya

Rangoli workshop during the Singapore Night Festival

Projection by HAFI during the Singapore Night Festival

Participants of the workshop ‘Windmills and ricefields, decoding batik souvenir cloth’ 

showing their works made

On Sunday 24 August the workshop ‘Windmills and ricefields, decoding batik souvenir cloth’ was held. 

Windmills & Ricefields are idyllic sceneries of batik souvenir cloth brought back by the Dutch soldiers after their stay in Dutch East Indies/Indonesia at the end of the 1950’s. These souvenir cloth have a very unique format and ingrained with the memories of their homes in different places.

In the workshop, we learned about how batik can be a form of storytelling as we breakdown the “Who, What, Where” components of a narrative. I shortly introduced the history of batik souvenir cloth. Illustrator Quek Hong Shin then explained the template and shared his own drawn story cloth design. This started the workshop with right away such a lovely moment. Also Hong Shin brought with him a canting like tool, which he used with watercolour. 

The participants, including myself, started to draw their own memories into the souvenir cloth format. After 1,5 hour we shared our story cloth, which was really magical. Many laughs, some tears, sharing memories that weren’t healed or dealt with with, finding space in this way of telling the story.

Illustrator Quek Hong Shin sharing his example of a memory cloth design

Gathered around to see & share, every participants shared their memory with the group, which gave smiles, some tears and even created room for healing

I drew my grandparents as the who, their home as the Where, the What for sure being this journey to put me on. Without their inspiration, I might have not be busy with Batik. It was nice to recall their home, with so many objects from their travels. The carpets that I pretended were islands, so I hopped from one to another ~ very much like I did these last few weeks, years. 

What I did not share with the group, but why I made this work too, is that my relationship with my grandmother has not been well after my mothers passing, and I miss the times when family life was less complicated, or when it was easier to ignore certain things, probably. I have fond memories of being at my grandparents home, the inspiration it brought me and the path it let me on, I do not miss my mothers sadness and feeling hurt by words that shouldn't cut so deep. I realised this journey, thanks to also the events I could participated in, that happy and sad memories can be kept together. 

Halo around the Sun on 25 August while walking in the Chinese Gardens park

Nice tiles in Singapore

Designed my own ‘keropok label’ during the workshop of Sendok Rakyat, HAFI & 80codes. Had so much fun, learned a lot on krupuk and went home with my own sealed up design

Nice tiles in Singapore

'Nasi Goreng Diplomacy’ by artist and rice researcher Chu Hao Pei at the Singapore Art Museum

Peranakan Reimagined display at Sentosa

In these troubled times, my heart was full on Friday 29 August, when we had an evening in honour of Dewi Sri, Pa-Sri-an ~ Tribute to Dewi Sri.

Dewi Sri is the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese Hindu Goddess of rice and fertility. 

There are different tales & stories on Dewi Sri, in which she without fail dies, due to the actions of men, while all she wanted was to be free & to be in service of all people. 

Not unlike today in which wealth is confused for ownership and riches and freedom is being taken away with violence, even death. Thinking about the news from the Netherlands and Indonesia, it write this with a heavy heart. 

When talking about what we can organise during the exhibition, I suggested a program around Dewi Sri. I have two batiks about her on display & shared my accidental ode to Dewi Sri, Dance in a ricecarpet. I thought there must be actual traditional dances that tell the story of Dewi Sri. Turns out there is not, but two dancegroups took up the challenge and created a new dance. Balinese dancegroup Eka Suwara Santhi and dancer Nani of the Javanese dancegroup Guntur Sekar created in less then 3 weeks magic. Using traditional movements, to retell, honour and embody Dewi Sri. Rice & flower petals flew throught the room, the batiks on the walls were rocking around while kains were whooshed through the air. It was amazing to see this, after screening of Dance in a ricecarpet, that I made in 2010. 15 years ago, after my first journey to Batik. It was a full circle, while a new pathway opening at the same time. 

Screening of Dance in a ricecarpet during 

our Pa-Sri-an ~ Tribute to Dewi Sri event at aNERDgallery

Balinese dancegroup Eka Suwara Santhi telling the story of Dewi Sri at aNERDgallery

Balinese dancegroup Eka Suwara Santhi telling the story of Dewi Sri at aNERDgallery

Dancer Nani of the Javanese dancegroup Guntur Sekar

Next to the dances, Hafiz shared three stories of Dewi Sri from Java, Bali & Sumatra. Her unhappy tragic tale which all result in giving plentiful crops to us, proofs we owe womenkind much more than kindness.

Artist and rice researcher Chu Hao Pei shared on his practice and brought two additional rice goddess statues, that we placed with the pa-sri-an pair from Hafiz. Flower offerings were at the feet and in every corner of the gallery. We had ricesnacks; Dutch rijstwafels, different kinds of rice krupuk from Cirebon, beras tea, wajik and Tape Ketan. Filled, full and fulfilled we chatted till late in the evening.

Thank you so much for contributing to this evening, with your dance, stories, space and those who attended. It was such a highlight of my journey and perfect to wrap it up with this evening. Thank you Tony for organising all this with me!

Rice goddesses & rice snacks

Storytelling by Hafiz

Dancer Nani of the Javanese dancegroup Guntur Sekar

Explanation of the batiks by Tony that were used by the dancers

The exhibition 'Once upon a time, Untold tales of Batik Cerita' is still open till 27 September at aNERDgallery. On 20 September there are two events, a workshop Zine making & storytelling, more info here go to 'Ways of Storytelling'.

From 1 till 31 October ‘Masa depan Batik | Future of Batik’ will be on display at Indonesia House Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It is so wonderful I can bring the exhibition I made at Erasmushuis in Jakarta in 2023, now here! 

Salam Canting - my first guided journey to batik

With Ibu Hani at Batik Winotosastro in Yogyakarta

Making batik with the group at KUB Sikandi

Posing with the made slendangs at aNERDgallery in Singapore

On 8 August our journey to Batik started. My first ever tour, organised with aNERDgallery & Bersukaria tour: The Journey to Batik – an invitation to embark on the trail which leads to Sabine’s lifelong obsession with batik. Since her first trip to Indonesia in 2009, Sabine, a batik artist-researcher from the Netherlands, has visited workshops and collaborated with makers to advocate for batik narratives that honour the craft and the hands that make them.
During this trip, you will have the opportunity to meet the makers, get a behind-the-scenes look at their creative processes, and even try your hand at making batik yourself.
The journey begins in Yogyakarta and Solo, where you will gain insights into batik design for both traditional and contemporary wear. From there, we’ll travel to Lasem, where you’ll create your own batik masterpiece with a canting, guided by a batik maestro. Finally, in Batang, you’ll discover the art of botanical dyeing, a key element in batik production. Along the way, we’ll make brief stops in Cirebon and Kudus to visit museums and workshops, sample local delicacies, and engage in meaningful conversations with artisans in the batik community.

Greeting Ibu Hani

Ibu Hani showing her designs at Batik Winotosastro

My journey had to start at my first actual batik making experience. In 2009 I went to follow a short batikworkshop at Batik Winotosastro in Yogyakarta, to my surprise the boss herself, Ibu Hani, welcomed me and made sure my cloth was dyed blue enough. Now we brought our group here, 10 participants from Singapore and Malaysia, to see the process of both Batik Tulis & Cap and all the steps involved. Ibu Hani was there to welcome us, what a delight! 

Next to seeing the batik making, we also got to see finished masterpieces. It was so wonderful to take the group here. This place is so important for batik educations and keeping the traditional Yogyakarta motifs going.

When we posted for our filmteam (this journey was documented for the marketing video of aNERD) Ibu Hani suggested we posted for the video with “Salam Canting👌”. We kept repeated this throughout our journey. 

Ibu Nuri showing her Batik Marenggo batik & tritik

Learning about Tritik

Dyeing our tritik edges with Indigo

After lunch we headed to Marenggo Batik where Mbak Nuri would teach us Tritik.

Mbak Nuri started Marenggo Batik in 2015, making ready-to-wear apparels and

cloth from silk and cotton, combining batik and tritik using natural dyes. I met her the first time in 2016 in Jakarta during a Meet the Makers event.

Now we got to try the ancient way of resist dye by knotting & stitching ourselves. Welcomed by her and her mother, who inspired to start making batik and tritik, she showed us how to do this stitch-resist on the border of our selendang. Our edges were then dipped in Indigo. 

It group really dove in, making lines, flowers & more with their needle & thread. Next to experience the magic of Indigo, turning from green to blue. 

We had to keep our patience to find out how it turned out, since the cloth has to be completely dry before the stitching could be removed.

What an amazing first day, starting our journey with the sisi of the kain (edges/border of the cloth).

With Mas Gigih at Museum Danar Hadi

Thumps up for my earrings fro Ibu Marni

On 9 August we left Yogyakarta and drove to Surakarta where we went to see the big batik collection at Museum Danar Hadi ~ Our guide Mas Zubair brought us through the many rooms explaining the different batiks and their motifs. We also met Mas Gigih so got a photo together. In the last room before the store, is a batikmaker at work. She showed the label to us, her name Marni written in wax on it, next to a number. They track in this way the product she is producing. Ibu Marni noticed my earrings and loved them.

At Mbak Eka's home in Lasem

After lunch we headed for Lasem. We got stuck in traffic along the way, but our group was wide awake when entering Mbak Eka’s home Batik Lumintu. We had dinner, including latohan, all without shrimp paste for me!

Everyone could enjoy Mbak Eka beautiful work. Miss Tasya who helped us set up everything. Thank you!

Happy to pulang to Lasem, although it was very brief, but happy to see my batik family again.

Learning to make batik from Ibu Ramini

At the hotel we could finally give everyone their slendangs and most started unpicking right away. Me & Tony did it on the way to Ibu Ramini the next morning, because we had not enough seam rippers.

The next morning on our 3th day we got to do Batik Tulis ourselves at KUB Srikandi with Ibu Ramini.

I have known Ibu Ramini now since 2009. Not only is this the place I truly fell in love with Batik, also it is a great place to learn batik. Ibu Ramini is good at teaching batik, but has not yet given workshops at her place yet. Last time, I brought her over to Erasmushuis to give a batikworkshop there. Now we brought the participants to her.

Our group got to draw their own free design. Which doing batik for the first time, I believe experimenting is the best way to do so. ‘My journey to Batik has begun’, Clarisse wrote with hot wax and canting on her Batik. 

Ibu Ramini also provided the second colour for our cloth. The red of Lasem with synthetic dye, to complete our slendang.

Museum Kartini in Rembang

Dance performance at Rumah Tegel

After trying batik making ourselves & lunch, we explored Lasem & Rembang.

I wanted to take the group Museum Kartini in Rembang, because Raden Adjeng Kartini was not only an important advocate for equality, she was also very active in supporting and promoting local crafts, including Batik. 

The museum was Kartini’s last home, the place holds sadness, but also celebrates what she left us.

After Museum Kartini, we headed to Rumah Tegel for our city tour. At Rumah Tegel we were welcomed by Mas Karim our tourguide of Lasem Walking Tour. And a welcome dance, Tari Tri karya boga, which depict different professions including Batik! It was so touching to see a batik dance in Lasem, where originally I filmed my short film ‘Tari Batik’ too, almost 10 years ago. Full circle moment.

From Rumah Tegel, we continued into through the streets behind, enjoying the unique architecture of Lasem. We went to Batik Nyah Kiok which is now no longer a place producing only one batik motif, but has a small exhibition and we got even a presentation of the owner. 

We ended at Rumah Merah with a new exhibition space is set up, explaining the history of Batik in Lasem.

While the group went for dinner near the hotel in Rembang, I went to Mbak Eka. So happy I still got to spend some time, catching up with Mbak Eka, Miss Tasya & Mas Karim.

At Batik Nyah Kiok

At Rumah Merah

On day 4 on 11 August of our journey to Batik I was getting sick with a cough & loosing my voice, but we powered through on our way to Pekalongan. 

We stopped at the lovely home of Omah Batik Ku in Kudus. It was great to see the newly made Kudus pieces that Fadloli and Lukman remake after classic batik designs.

In the alley Azura to the Omah Batik ku photographed 

me wearing my new outer by Batik Tektura matching with the wall

At Omah Batik Ku

Kebaya shop in Kudus

In Kudus we also visited a kebaya maker. They sell the fabrics with embroidery and have a traditional Kudus house in the back. Got some small gifts and a batik with a helicopter, cars & boats. One of the participants Lydia spotted it for me ~ apparently made in Pekalongan, comment below if you know where.

Next stop was Zie Batik on Mount Ungaran, under Semarang. Batik Zie is started by the late Zazilah (Ibu Zie) and her husband Marheno Jayanto, now assisted by their daughter Sasi Syifaurohmi. I met Ibu Zie and Pak Marheno my first journey to batik in 2009. And revisited after that. Got myself a natural dyed batik cap, again with an aircraft, mountains & monkeys. The design was inspired by the view from the workshop.

Batik by Zie Batik

At Zie Batik

We also had dinner on the way, 

were to my surprise we had a stunning view on Gunung Ungaran with sunset

John making Batik Cap

On our 5th day we went to Museum Batik Pekalongan and batikmakers in Batang.

In the morning we headed to Museum Batik where we got a guided tour through the exhibitions. Since there was no English speaking tourguide, Toby translated all for the group. 

Also Mas Dewa & Miss Mila came to meet us. Happy got to see them again and introduce them to the group. 

After the exhibitions the group got to try Batik Cap with museum teacher Ibu Marni. Most also added Batik Tulis. It was dyed and boiled also, so another piece of Batik for their collection.

Group adding tulis to their cap

Group adding tulis to their cap

Dyed and lorod at Museum Batik

After lunch we headed to Batang. Where we got to meet on of the youngest and one of the oldest active batikmakers I know. 

First we stopped by at Mak Sium. It was so sweet of them to welcome us in their home. The group just about fit. With batiks to look at, fruits to eat and questions to ask Mak Sium, time flew by. Mak Sium even demonstrated batik making.

Visiting Mak Sium in Batang

Next and last visit for the day was to Ibu Nurul. At her home we also got to see Ibu Siti’s natural dyed work who we couldn’t meet this trip. Together with Ibu Nurul I showed her designs. She explained herself in English the names and meaning. 

When we made our groupphoto the sun was already setting. It was absolutely great to take this group to the makers I knew for so many years. Looking forward to do this again.

Showing batiks by Nurul together

On our 6th day on 13 August we headed back to Jakarta with a visit & lunch in Cirebon. In Batik Trusmi (not the mall, but the actual neighborhood!) we went to Batik Puteri Masina were we were welcomed by owner Ibu Uka. We got to see where the batiks are produced, in the same street, shop in her batik store & enjoy the lunch. She cooked it all herself! 

Loved seeing this batikworkshop. The way they dye the cloth is clever & different from what I know from Pekalongan & Lasem. I haven’t seen the actual proces, but the dye bath is like a seesaw, which will allow the dye the keep moving. Which is needed when working with reactive synthetic dyes. 

Also the pembatiks using a bucket or box to prevent the cloth from touching the floor. Simple yet effective. 

Batikmaker in Cirebon

Ibu Uka weavings goodbye

Back in Singapore, where I am staying now. We finally got to document the slendangs our participants, and me & Tony made during our journey to Batik. The blue Indigo edges made with the tritik technique together with Mbak Nuri at Marenggo Batik in Sleman. The red synthetic dyed part drawn with wax at Ibu Ramini in desa Jeruk.

Many thanks to Mas Tony & Mas Dinas for making this journey with me! Sampai perjalanan berikutnya!