October 1, 2014

Batik Gifts

To continue my Bday Batik Statement Batik Day tradition, I made new Batik Statements** for you! This upcoming Batik Day, tomorrow on the 2th of October 2014, is a very special one.
It was 5 years ago that Batik became a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity of Indonesia, in short an UNESCO heritage.*
That same year, 2009, I was preparing my journey to Java to study Batik. To share my preparation and journey I started a blog, this blog, and called it 'De reis naar Batik' ('The journey to Batik"). So on this fifth Batik Day celebration, I'm also celebrating my 5 year anniversary of this blog.
Well it would already be spectacular if that was all, but this is all being celebrated on my 30th birthday. So happy birthday to me, a hurray for my blog and a big celebration for Batik!

For the Batik Gifts Statements I'm wearing Batiks I received as gifts. Thank you!!
On the first two photo's I'm wearing two wonderful things I received as a price from Pretty Batik Boutique. I participated in Kissy's competition for Batik Day last year and she send me a beautiful bolero & shawl. Kissy runs a boutique in New York selling Batik products. Missing her homecountry and wanting to share the joy of Batik, she started importing Batik clothing. Her main focus is on children clothing, she wanted to dress her daughter in Batik and on Kitty's Facebook & Instagram you can see how cute & pretty her daughter looks! Thanks again Kissy!

On the first photo I'm also wearing a Batik wrap-around-pants. Like most Batik gifts I get, Irene Laros contacted me on facebook asking me if I would like to have this pants she bought during her holiday on Java. Of course I did, and I promised her to make a statement with it, so here it is!

In the background of the first two Batik Gifts Statements two beautiful Sari's. When Daniƫlle Koks gave them to me I immediately wanted to do something with them, playing with their colours through light. I made all the statements on one day, unfortunately slowly loosing the light, but also getting a total different feel with every picture.

For the other two Batik Statements I choose to make a background, or setting, with Batiks I received with human figures and Wayang dolls on them. On the first one I'm wearing a kaftan from my grandmother and on the second one two Batik blouses from my grandfather. Their love for Indonesia inspired me to make this journey, this journey to Batik! And I hope I can continue it for a long time!









* Batik on Wikipedia 
** Previous Batik Statements can be found on my blog under the label "Batik Statement"
** On the last photo on the left also a beautiful Batik Tulis I received from Kees de Ruiter
*** To celebrate my 5 year anniversary of my blog De reis naar Batik and of Batik Day, I would love to fill all Social Media's with Batik Statements! Please share yours with #batikstatement and with me! I will post all photos I received with #batikstatement on my blog the next couple of days

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