Keeping legacies in Yogya

Making green with Mas Syaiful

The samples after one day of dyeing with Mas Syaiful

Started my stay in Yogya with making green with Mas Syaiful. I have been following Mas Syaiful’s instagram @sekadargambar for a while. He created the most wonderful shades of natural dye. Curious to see his workspace and getting to know him, I was happy when he had time to have me visit and make!

Took a Grab to his workshop on Monday 4 August, but got the wrong dot on the map. Looking around, suddenly I saw a man, boy and goat pointing me to the right place. The man of course being Syaiful, the boy his son & the goat their pet Shello.

Was invited in his house first, where his collection of samples was laid out. Basically the rainbow in natural dye. He also had several samples with batik. I especially was surprised by the green he was able to create, that looked to me very much like the natural green in old batiks made around 1870-1880 on Java. I asked if we could try to re-create that. 

For our recipe we used Jolawe and Tegeran for yellow and Indigo for blue. He still had some pieces with already a drawing in wax, so we could use them too. 

It was great to learn more from Syaiful on natural dyes, the plants needed, that he even planted around his house, and his wish for a sustainable slow way of living. He uses soya milk to prepare the textiles for dyeing and the goat gets the milk after. He want to create a catalog of colours, adding new ones and would like to turn it into a book or exhibition someday. 

We actually made a whole range of shades of green. Which some pretty close to the old colours. Would love to re-try old recipes in the near future and hang out at this beautiful place! 

Examples of Mas Syaiful's dye experiments

Goat Shello in the workshop

Bringing the Indigo vat back to life

First dye round with base of yellows and blues

Overdyeing to get green

Was waved goodbye by all the kids in the neighbourhood, Syaiful and Shello

First night in Yogya, 

dinner with Elise of Jivaloka & Tony 

captured in a drawing by artist Syahrizal Pahlevi 

On 5 August we went first to Art Jog, one of the bigger Art events in Yogyakarta. There were a few works that really got to me. 

The installation ‘Niscaya Nirmakna’ by Surya Adiwjaya showing the disappearing legacy of memando (blacksmithing). 

One of the wall text read: 

In an era where traditions lose their names.

In the spaces in between, the sound of hammering persists its echo soft, yet unyielding, refusing to be museumed.

Some choose to fade.

Some choose to read again.

And somefollow their own will to have its meaning forgotten

In this museum without labels.

A work, or body of work that got me actually crying was seeing one of my mentors, Krisna Murti being celebrated. In The Krisna Murti Project artist Mahardika Yudha and Umi Lestari are exploring his legacy in videos, written documentation and more. 

Not me crying at Art Jog, thank you The Krisna Murti project

As mentioned in my previous post ‘Tiba di Jawa’, I run into Mbak Elok in Jakarta, she told many people were waiting for me to come to Yogya. Since Yogya was this time on the planning for a little longer, I let her know we were coming. We got invited to meet her at her shop/gallery, but Mbak Elok also invited some Batik enthusiasts/students/colleagues to meet with us. 

I have been following Mbak Elok batik journey also through Instagram where she on @lawasanbatikofficial did many activities such as interviews with people in the Batik field during the pandemic and live selling events.

She recently moved to Yogyakarta where she at the store Batik Yogya Kembali made a small exhibition on Haji Bilal batik legacy and makes temporary exhibitions too. Turn out, this building was actually the batikworkshop. 

Haji Bilal started his Firma Haji Bilal in 1912 with about 700 employees. To survive the financial crisis in the 1930’s he started making next the kains, table cloths, scarves and more. Till his passing in 1948 he produced batik, after which his children continued. It wasn’t easy to sell batiks in the 1960’s anymore, mostly due to printed textiles with batik motifs, so the family ventured into other businesses, opening hotels. But the building remained within the family, as their home & batik shop. 

Mbak Elok created a lovely small exhibition honouring the different generations making batik. With wonderful examples of Haji Bilal work, but also the furniture from the office & cash machines over the years. 

In the room next to it, Mbak Elok makes together with PPBI Sekar Jagad, temporary exhibitions. Now the theme is ‘Flofau’, a word play on Flora & Fauna, showing a variety of ‘Alas-alasan’, a batik with many animals. 

Mbak Elok also brought some older pieces of her families batik legacy, great sogan pieces with wayang and buketan. When I get home have to take a closer look at one of the wayang batik my grandmother bought, because it looks do similar. 

After our tour, our get-together started. It is great to see a new generation so active within batik, not just research, but also making! Making new design inspired by kraton motifs, working on makers outside the kraton who are mentioned in Veldhuisen his book, and much much more.

It was wonderful to chat  and share and looking forward to what everyone is doing! So keep me posted !

Thank you Mbak Elok and Ibu Firda for welcoming us in your home & batik legacy.

Mbak Elok showing the batiks by Haji Bilal

Batik at exhibition 'Flofau'

Batik at exhibition 'Flofau'

Example of Haji Bilal batik with buketan motif

Evening gathering with batik researchers/fans/students/curators

On 6 August we got a preview of Museum Gan, the private museum opened by Ibu Indrawati to celebrate her batik family’s legacy. In the small museum she displays the batik works, related historical objects and her own made batiks to share the story of three generations of batik entrepreneurs from Pekalongan; Gan Sam Gie (1856-1928), Gan Tjioe Liam (1900-1957) and Gan Tjiang Liem (1928-1992), and adding a fourth by including herself Gan Swie Hiang.

Yogya might be an odd choice for this museum, but it is also interesting to have it here, since it is such a different batik herstory to tell.  Bu Indrawati plans to open the museum fully in October, so mark your agenda to visit and enjoy the little preview in the photos!

Ibu Indrawati opening up her grandparents closet/exhibit at Museum Gan

Examples of batiks by the Gan family

Museum Gan

Detail of batik from the Museum Gan collection

After Museum Gan, I headed to Museum Sonobudoyo Unit I. The curators joined at Mbak Eka and I was curious to see their batik collection.

The museum is really grand, set-up in two building, going through the history of Java and sharing on customs in the court of Yogyakarta and outside of it. 

The batik display is pretty impressive and most of the pieces include on explanation on their use as well, as in which ritual.

In the evening got to visit Ibu Chandra of Sekar Kawung. She is such an inspiration and it was great hear about all the different @sekarkawung projects to keep textile crafts artisans going. For selling peanuts to growing the cotton, to weaving the cloth, to growing the Indigo, to making fashion, meditation blankets, pyjama’s and small toys, she work with everyone to lift up everyone!

It gives me so much hope. It was also great to see the newer and older Tuban batiks. I know Koen would want them all. 

Thank you Ibu Chandra for sharing your stories on your amazing work.

Ibu Chandra showing pieces from Tuban

On 7 August our last free day in Yogya, we went to Museum Batik, yes there is a Museum Batik too in Yogya. This one is smaller and private. When I first came here in 2016 I was only allowed to take photos in the first room, but now it is allowed everywhere. So of course me and Tony took many. The rolled up batik made me crazy the last time. When were they open last & who has access to them?! And l can I see them too?

The museum is still small, but the pieces are lovely and the rooms explaining the technique is well done. A worth-wile visit, and happy to see that also this legacy has been kept, since the original owners have passed away.

On 7 August my very first batik tour started! Together with aNERDgallery and Bersukaria Tour, I made a program going to several batikmakers I have been working with, and some who Tony also works with, doing hands on workshops and cultural sightseeing. Till the next blog update!