Posing with Annie Vriezen's batik works at Landgoed Fraeylemaborg,
March 2025.
Photo by Koen de Wit
From the Ankersmit archive at Collectie Overijssel, calendars with new year wishes
Noticed that I left a lot of stories untold on my blog. My blog is not only a way of sharing my journey to/through and with batik, but it also helps me to keep track of when I saw what, spoke to who or got inspired by something. My own database/dairy/recollection of a journey that seems to go faster and faster. So a blogpost looking back at the first six month of 2025, January till June, before I travelled to Southeast Asia for my 7th journey to Batik.
Diving into Ankersmit
When I got invited to give a talk in Deventer on imitation Batik, I wanted to include the history of the cotton printing company from that city, Ankersmit. My talk was planned on 26 Februari giving me some time to prepare and visit the city (for more on the talk see 'Lecturer’s life for me').
The company Ankersmit started in 1799 as a home industry and continued in 1860 in a huge factory in which the cotton weaving and dyeing was done. The printing was developed later and continued until the sudden end of the company in 1965.
Although Ankersmit is mostly know, and researched on, their printed cottons for the West-African market. I dove into the early years of the company and the export of their products to Southeast-Asia.
I made a visit to the monument made for Ankersmit in January on a very Sunny day. It is unique, there are as far as I know, no other monuments for cottonprinting companies. The monument focus is on the lost of the jobs when the factory closed, but doesn’t address the colonial history of the products itself.
Only these windows of the factory remain on location, but I found some collection on display at Museum De Waag which includes an original copper printing roll, a drawing table and a painting of the view of the factory next to the river.
I also went to Collectie Overijssel to look at 20 books from the Ankersmit archive. The archive is public, but they are still working on a clear overview of the pieces. I requested some early documents, sample- and sales books to get some more insights. It was interesting to learn more about this, I guess, lesser known cotton company, also in regards of the very specific products they made. Ankersmit was specialised in Indigo dyeing and different resist-techniques which are closer to todays Blaudruck than they ever were to Javanese Batik. Will continue on this next year with even a Blaudruck trip, more on that later!
Monument for Ankersmit in Deventer, with the original fabric windows and map of the factory site
Ankersmit copper printing roll with motif of butterflies, 1950-1960,
Collection Museum De Waag in Deventer
Vitrine on Ankersmit at Museum De Waag
One of the books on/from Ankersmit at Collectie Overijssel
Next to a talk, I also gave a Paper Sarong Workshop. Both were are part of the project ‘Draden van het Overijsselse slavernijverleden’ {Threads of Overijssels slavery past}, a project of Etty Hillesum Centrum in collab with Bibliotheek Deventer.
Batiks by Annie Vriezen
Got an email inviting me to come see an exhibition in the province Groningen. On overview was made on the work of textiel artist Annie Vriezen. For the part on Batik they used the Batik magazine I made together with Stichting Tong Tong.
Landgoed Fraeylemaborg showed tapestries and batiks by Annie Vriezen, next to documentation on her work process, from the sixties till 2000.
The estate were this exhibition was, was a little in the middle of nowhere, so we stayed one night, right next to it in March. It was a small exhibition, but it was very lovely to get to know this, might I say, rebellious artist, that choose textiel as her medium when it was not trending yet and left some remarkable pieces. There was one work in particular, three huge batik hanging depicting hogweed (berenklauw). The effect of the wax, colours and the flowers towering above you leave a lasting impression. The works were made in collaboration with others between 1980 and 1985. A photo series of the making process shows many hands, from drawing the wax, to dyeing and drying the cloths. Annie Vriezen added the names of everyone who helped her on a label on the work. The labels were unfortunately not visible, but the names were mentioned on the text signs.
Artists work a lot together, in official collabs, but also helping with producing artworks. I see in so many exhibitions no credit to these helping hands. Let alone actually mentioning the craftspeople who often actually made the artwork. We are so focussed on the Artist, singular, that although artists clearly name who they work with, the institutes drop those names. It is not the reality in which art is created, but the idea the art world wants to maintain. A pity, and this label reminded me of this again. Dear Art colleagues, please add all the makers to an artwork!
Exhibition 'Annie Vriezen' at Landgoed Fraeylemaborg
Batik by Annie Vriezen
'De Grote Berenklauw', batik made by Annie, Claudia and Stella Vriezen
Photo series of the making of 'De Grote Berenklauw'
Batikworkshops got even shorter
Only gave one full day Intro Batik workshop this year on 30 March. Giving the Intro Batikworkshop is always interesting and sometimes tough. While explaining the actual process of Batik making takes weeks, months even years, we have to create a batik in one day.
Most people never tried, or maybe held a canting once before on holiday in Indonesia or as kids in a craft-lesson. Learning to make batik is a skill passed on between generations. Mastered in years of practice. Still people expect they can do it in a day, and not just do it, do it well…
I guide them step by step through the process, which only is in fact a small part. Adapted to fit in one day. It is really an intro on drawing with wax and seeing how a resist-dye works. At the end I make sure everyone has a fully selfmade batik, of which I did the preparations, dyeing and finally the removal of the wax.
Although not everyone understands right away how batik works, it is always great to see that who follows my lead will get there in the end. I always have those who think they can just “experiment” and ignore my tips and tricks. I am always glad when I am boiling out the wax, that even they manage to make a batik, with the tools I handed them.
Somehow I though doing it in one day was not short enough, I created an one hour version. I first tried it out during the Pasar Malam Istimewa at Ahoy Rotterdam. I gave 4 workshop of one hour in which 37 participants made a small batik. With a canting they drew with hot wax and coloured it in by hand with a brush.
I prepared some examples & gave some print outs with designs. Many copied them, but also a lot was made free hand, creating batiks with faces, smileys, Homer Simpson, puffer fish and much more. In September I repeated this workshop for the Ambacht in Beeld festival (see post 'Bulan Batik')
Tracing the Heyder & Co in Lier, Belgium
Spend two days in sunny May in Lier in Belgium tracing the locations of the Heyder & Co basically with my feet.
The textile company Heyder & Co was founded in 1756 by Peter de Heyder in Lier. He chose this location because of cheap labor (in the city Antwerpen where he was based, and stayed based, he would have had to pay more) and he could buy up exciting property to start up production of blankets of a wool, linnen, cotton combination (‘flanellen’) & printed cotton cloth. De Heyder bought several buildings that were vacant monasteries and set up all the different steps of production; weaving, spinning, dyeing & printing with blocks.
The Heyder & Co was the biggest producer of cotton products in the region and the biggest employer of Lier. About 1/3 of Lier was basically the company grounds. The products were shipped through out Europe and went to (North-)America and Southeast Asia to used as colonial trade.
In 1835 story in Lier ends, but continues in Leiden were the company moved to. There it continued as the Leidse Katoenmaatschappij (Leiden Cottoncompany) until 1936.
For a company that existed 180 years of which 79 years in Lier, I thought I would find more, more on its present in the public space of Lier. Many old building have information signs, but do not include information on the Heyder & Co. There is an actual De Heyder street, but only have as info ‘textile manufacturer 1721-1818’. Nothing on the actual company nor the textile workers houses that were on this street.
The city museum has a little display on it, which was only partly on view because of a temporary exhibition.
Until now the book ‘A big company in a small town: De Heyder & Co. in Lier’ by Catharina Lis & Hugo Soly from 1987 is still the only big research that has been done & was published on this company. Yet only published in Dutch, with small black & white images.
This shows that the stories on the cottonprinting companies are still mostly ignored, but why? i
Is it too long ago?
I could find information signs with history from the 16th century..
Is it too difficult?
The info is out there, spread over many archives but still
Or is it still too scary to address colonial history?
To be continued!
The Heyder street in Lier, in this street the factory workers houses were located
In this building was weaving done for Heyder & Co, they didn't build factories,
they re-used old monasteries and churches for their looms
One of the details that made me very happy. Sourcing in different guided tours and books,
I found details like this.
The old decorative vending holes, once part of the factory, now in an housing complex
Vlisco Exhibition in Helmond
By chance, I saw there was an exhibition on Vlisco held at Het Industrieel Atrium kenniscentrum voor het Industrieel Erfgoed in Helmond, right next to the actual Vlisco factory. It was the last weekend of May and almost finished. The exhibition made by old employees showcased their collected bits and pieces. Was it good, no, was it inspiring, maybe, was it interesting, very. The more blunt way of showing this company history, with paper work I would think you normally can not see and display choices that make me have to take a moment.
Right at the entrance a bust of Pieter Fentener van Vlissingen III (1853-1927), with a portrait of Hendrik Jan Ankersmit (1783-1854) and Jean Baptiste Theodore Prévinaire (1783-1854), the godfathers of imitation batik/Wax Print.
In the vitrines and around it were the objects, clearly partly taken from the job, partly gifted maybe. Together with text signs it gave the history of Vlisco, starting in 1802 (!), continuing until today.
In this post just some impressions, but I documented of every inch of this exhibition.
Entrance with Pieter Fentener van Vlissingen III (1853-1927),
with a portrait of Hendrik Jan Ankersmit (1783-1854)
and Jean Baptiste Theodore Prévinaire (1783-1854)
The museum, or Industrial heritage center, has a permanent small display on Vlisco and its history
Power to the Flower in Batik
Another last weekend, got to see this, exhibition I went to was the Power to the Flower’ Art Nouveau exhibition at the Drents Museum De Buitenplaats in Eelde. It was a journey, but happy I did. All the pieces shown were fantastic, but the batik pieces were excellent!
What a collection the Drents Museum has, and how marvellous their extra location will onkly focus on Art Nouveau!
Any way, here are some, not all, the batik pieces they showed.
Carel Adolph Lion Cachet (1864-1945)
Mirror with decorated panels, 1897
Mirrored glass and batiked parchment on wooden frame
Chris Lebeau (1878-1945) (panels),
Willem Kromhout (1864-1940 (frame)
Folding screen with the symbolic announcement of a new art, 1903
Batik on slik, oak
I am sorry I stand in front of this for at least 30 minutes, but I wanted it imprinted on my eyeballs
Who cries over over a folding screen, me, I fully cried, haha
The details, the hands! The symbolism, the colours!
All time favourite, Bertha Bake!
Batik samples with floral pattern, 1910
Batik on parchment
Good Living in Amsterdam
From 22 June till 29 July two works of mine were on view at the gallery Bradwolff projects in Amsterdam during the exhibition 'Woven stories, stories of connection'. Hanging was 'Good Living/Tiga Negeri' the textile installation showing the history of imitation and Tiga Negeri while re-making it into a batik, made on three locations, by three artist; me in NL, Ibu Siti in ID and Addoley Dzegede in USA. On a loop was 'Tari Batik' the short video I made in 2016.
In the exhibition was the work of several Indonesian and Dutch artist who work with (colonial) history and traditional crafts. The gallery wrote this on the exhibition and my work in their newsletter:
Between porcelain and palimpsest lies a space of layered memory — fragile, resilient, endlessly rewritten. Woven Stories dwells here. Textile, image, language, and time converge to make memory tangible. Threads don’t hide fractures; they reveal them, let you feel the breaks.
At a moment when histories are reclaimed and identities reshaped, Woven Stories opens a quiet field where colonial echoes, personal histories, and shared textures intertwine. The artists don’t illustrate history — they trace it, question it, rewrite it.
Sabine Bolk sets batik in motion. In Tiga Negeri and Tari Batik, patterns become choreography — a dance of remembering, a textile revival.
Gave a short what si batik & what is Batik Tiga Negeri talk during teh opening of 'Woven Stories'. Photo by Koen de Wit
'Good Living/Tiga Negeri' on display, visit with the masterclass group. Photo by Koen de Wit
Masterclass Batik making & cotton dyeing
In June together with master-dyer Loret Karman we organised a 5 day masterclass at De Wilg in Utrecht. In 5 days we draw with wax, started a dyers logbook, learned about the history of batik & textile dyeing, dyed our batiks synthetic & naturally and turned white cotton into the rainbow.
First day of our masterclass we gave the title ‘Pukul Terus’, a day with many steps to give our batikmakers a flying start. We made 1 small batik in 1 hour. We filled 3 larger pieces of cotton with lines, dots and figures. We dyed the first part of 30 samples for our dye-circle. We enjoyed a lovely lunch by Toko Lo & shared many stories & knowledge.
Day two of our masterclass was a deepdive into batik & colonial history with a visit to Wereldmuseum Amsterdam. Our visit including the textile depot in the attic of the building. We titled this day ‘Sangat Menarik’, because we hoped it would be very interesting & inspiring day for our batikkers.
I selected 5 batiks from the Wereldmuseum collection, former Tropenmuseum collection. Apart from one, I all saw & researched before. Of four I researched the maker, of one the wearer. So each batik has an interesting story to tell. Also, although all drawn in wax, very different and gave a nice view on the diversity of this technique of wax resist.
Looking at a Oey Soe Tjoen batik from the Wereldmuseum collection
Gwen Scheerlings presenting her batik work
Third day theme of the masterclass was Mewarnai, colouring. Diving further into dyeing cloths, in steps from light to dark, in different mixtures & overdyeing. Important part of this day is taking notes to be able to re-make the dye recipes. Ever thankful for Loret Karman for explaining every step with much care.
Fourth day of our masterclass we celebrate ‘Kekuatan Indigo’, the power of Indigo. Loret guided us in preparing an extra strong dyebath. The bath was active fast, ready for the next day.
In the afternoon, Gwen Scheelings presented the work she made at Babaran Segaragunung Culture House. In two months she work with batik tulis, cap & different dyes. So proud of her batik journey!
The rest of the day we spend making our batik to dip in Indigo. Using inspiration from our visit to the Wereldmuseum or free style.
Perjalanan Pengrajin, the craftsperson journey, was the title for the fifth & last day of our masterclass. Dipping the drawings in wax in our own Indigo bath, removing the wax from the earlier dyed batik samples and working on our dyers textile sample logbook.
All the tools needed to continue on this road of making batik & dyeing fabrics.
It was an honour to give this masterclass with Loret Karman, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us and for repeating it many times, terima kasih banyak Guru Warna!
It was so much fun to share the Art of Batik and all the steps that come with it. Thank you batikmakers, you were a wonderful group!
Our Indigo Batiks
