Exhibition at Pasar Malam Istimewa in Rotterdam
In the video for the exhibition 'The worlds of Jan Toorop' at Singer Laren
Returning from Singapore, I spend my time writing articles, visiting exhibitions, well into March. At the end of March had the first Batikworkshop of the year, only to give 17 more in the following weekends till end of April. In between I had to work on a funding application and read a dissertation, because I was asked to serve as an opponent for a PhD defence!
A busy time, ao time for a recap of the past few months, And a celebration, my blog, and therefore my journey to Batik, started 17 years ago on 21 April 2009. With all the batik related adventures I have in the real world, my journey to batik seems to be in full bloom.
Self-portrait of Jan Toorop in which he wears batik and is surrounded by batiks
Last year in May I was contacted by Suzanne Veldink who was making an overview exhibition on the Indo-European painter Jan Toorop (1858-1929). She came across a blog I wrote in 2018 on the work I saw of Toorop in which he poses as a young man between batiks wearing batik;
“Where Raden Saleh represent the Javanese artist getting praise outside Indonesia and more specifically in the Netherlands for showing us true Javanese culture. Jan Toorop is the Javanese born-artist getting praise for being Dutch...He left an interesting body of work in which his roots clearly shine through, however he is always seen as an Dutch symbolic artist with a interest in Indonesia.“
For the current exhibition, The worlds of Jan Toorop, at Museum SingerLaren, Suzanne wanted to highlight all sides of Toorop, starting with his biggest inspiration, where he was born. His love for Indonesia is shown in many ways through out his work and there is a surprising number of works in which he depicts batik. Not any kind of batik, but typical for that time and the place he lived as a child.
I was asked to do the audiotour for my favorite work, the selfportrait with batiks, see photo above, and an actual matching batik, see photo below. I was also included in the short film Mals Media made in which I share more about the style of Batiks Toorop depicted and a little on Batik in general. It is showing in full at Museum Singer Laren and there is a fragment online too.
For the opening on 21 January, in between my travel to London & Singapore, I designed buttons that were used during the opening. I made 4 designs for them to pick one, but all 4 got used, what a compliment!
The inspiration came of course from the batiks Toorop depicts, with the tumpals clearly visible. I added swans, on request, to refer to Singer Laren. When I saw the swans in Toorop work, when I finally got to visit the exhibition, it made me smile.
Batik on display that Jan Toorop might have seen at the Colonial exhibition in Amsterdam 1883.
It was collected by Dr. Elie van Rijckevorsel between 1874 and 1877
in Tanah Abang, Batavia, now Jakarta
My contribution didn’t end here, I also gave three workshops, two Batikworkshops for grown-ups on 17 & 18 April and one Paper Sarong workshop for kids on 19 April. With the great assistance of museum educators Dineke and Jessica we dove into a long weekend filled with Batik.
The participants took inspiration from the batiks painter Jan Toorop depicted in his works for their own Batik. I prepared for the workshop examples & a pallet of colours to match with the batiks in Toorop’s work.
The participants took inspiration from the batiks painter Jan Toorop depicted in his works for their own Batik. I prepared for the workshop examples & a pallet of colours to match with the batiks in Toorop’s work.
It was great to guide two groups through the ~ difficult ~ process of making a batik using the canting. We were in the greenhouse in the garden, a lovely location & so many other visitors enjoyed taking a look at what was being created.
The exhibition ‘The worlds of Jan Toorop’ runs till 10 May, so go visit if you haven’t seen it yet.
Designs for opening buttons
Examples based on the Tumpals in the batiks depicted by Jan Toorop
Held the batikworkshops in the green house at Singer Laren
Matched the colours to the batiks in the exhibition
Paper sarong workshop in the Atelier of Singer Laren
In 2024 I started working on the Batik collection of Rudolf Smend. The wish was that there was an overview of what he has, with as much details as possible. I started with a first visit in December of that year and got a good start. Together with Katharina, we went through 44!! boxes of batiks in 5 days.
In February I returned to Köln, Cologne in Germany. At Galerie Smend Rudolf made an exhibition of pieces featured in his books. He published himself three books on his collection, and two books were made featuring many of them; The Batik by Fiona Kerlogue & Javanese batik to the world by Maria Friend. A good moment to add these to the list I started making.
Rudolf Smend displayed Batiks at his two galleries in Cologne,
at the beginning of the year
Girl holding dog as center image on a altar cloth
Damaged beauty
Everything on Batik Cap in a drawer in the new, smaller, Batik Museum
In two days I went through about 100+ batiks; writing down their numbers, details like the condition they are in, if there are any holes, damaged or repairs, the main motifs, colours and if they are stamped, signed or have any other markings.
It is absolutely amazing to get to see, touch and process these pieces. Collected as early as the late 70’s, even if the pieces are newer, they are still 50+ years old at least.
It is even more wonderful to hear Rudolf’s stories, where he collected pieces, exhibitions he did & the people he met along the way.
His big Batik Museum had to move out last year, but now he created in the basement of the gallery a smaller one. Wonderful!
Do go visit Galerie Smend in Köln/Cologne in Germany, the only batik museum in Europa!
End of March I did a two days workshop, 28 & 29 March, together with Sarah Pedlow of ThreadWritten.
We have been chatting forever on doing a workshop together. With our shared interest in the Reformdress we found the perfect inspiration to do a workshop combining Batik & Embroidery.
The participants made a collar, a clothing piece in the Reformdress that was decorated using all kind of techniques including Batik & Embroidery. We found in literature and museum collections examples to base our workshop on. We brought loads of books, hand-outs & fabrics from our collections to give ideas on what to make. A participant even brought an original book from that time.
Our participants worked the first day on their Batik & the second day on Embroidery.
The batik had to finished in one day so they could embroider it the next day. We started with a one hour batik making session. After that they started designing their collar. At the end we dyed the cloths and I removed the wax at home.
The next day Sarah shared different decorative stitches through out the day. On a piece of real Batik they could practice. At the end of the day most had started working on the collar. Thinking how to highlight, alter or decorate their batik design further.
It was great to see what everyone made and looking forward to the finished pieces.
We will organise this workshop again in the near future for sure.
In the Easter weekend I promoted Batik for 4 full days at the Pasar Malam Istimewa held in Ahoy Rotterdam. This Pasar is the biggest we have in the Netherlands and with their extensive cultural programming it is becoming one of the more interesting ones.
Last year I joined one day to give batikworkshops. Apparently the organization was contacted so much about it, that they invited me again, but now for all the days including an extra big stand to create an exhibition as well.
In 4 days I gave 12 batikworkshops, from 3 till 6 April, with the great help of Koen and Gwen who guided everyone through the process of making batik, next to waiting in line for jummy food!
About 160 small batiks were made, almost all made batik for the first time.
Next to the workshops, I made an exhibition with batiks by Mbak Eka, Ibu Nurul, Ibu Ramini, Ibu Siti & Mak Sium and photographs of the making process I made in 2022 & 2023.
Thank you Pasar Budaya & Indo’s be like for giving Batik a stage, thank you Carla & Maxime!
During the workshops at the Pasar Malam Gwen Scheerlings came to help me the first two days. With ease she guided the participants with me.
On Tuesday 10 February Gwen presented her Batik Gerobak at HKU, the Art Academy in Utrecht, as part of her graduation. The Batik Gerobak is a small workshop on wheels, created to make, promote & teach batik on any location. It has everything needed to make batik, including an Indigo dye vat.
I met Gwen about 2 years ago, she was already making Batik herself and reached out to me. She joined my workshops and went on a two month stay in Yogyakarta to learn batik, all by herself. In October she presented her work during the opening of ‘Masa depan Batik’ at the Indonesia House. She is having an amazing batik journey I am happy to be part of. Feel like a very proud Batik mom :)
In two days I went through about 100+ batiks; writing down their numbers, details like the condition they are in, if there are any holes, damaged or repairs, the main motifs, colours and if they are stamped, signed or have any other markings.
It is absolutely amazing to get to see, touch and process these pieces. Collected as early as the late 70’s, even if the pieces are newer, they are still 50+ years old at least.
It is even more wonderful to hear Rudolf’s stories, where he collected pieces, exhibitions he did & the people he met along the way.
His big Batik Museum had to move out last year, but now he created in the basement of the gallery a smaller one. Wonderful!
Do go visit Galerie Smend in Köln/Cologne in Germany, the only batik museum in Europa!
One of the batiks made during the workshop of me & Sarah Pedlow
Looking at one of the many lovely examples Sarah brought
End of March I did a two days workshop, 28 & 29 March, together with Sarah Pedlow of ThreadWritten.
We have been chatting forever on doing a workshop together. With our shared interest in the Reformdress we found the perfect inspiration to do a workshop combining Batik & Embroidery.
The participants made a collar, a clothing piece in the Reformdress that was decorated using all kind of techniques including Batik & Embroidery. We found in literature and museum collections examples to base our workshop on. We brought loads of books, hand-outs & fabrics from our collections to give ideas on what to make. A participant even brought an original book from that time.
Our participants worked the first day on their Batik & the second day on Embroidery.
The batik had to finished in one day so they could embroider it the next day. We started with a one hour batik making session. After that they started designing their collar. At the end we dyed the cloths and I removed the wax at home.
The next day Sarah shared different decorative stitches through out the day. On a piece of real Batik they could practice. At the end of the day most had started working on the collar. Thinking how to highlight, alter or decorate their batik design further.
It was great to see what everyone made and looking forward to the finished pieces.
We will organise this workshop again in the near future for sure.
My exhibition at Pasar Malam Istimewa at Ahoy Rotterdam
My exhibition at Pasar Malam Istimewa at Ahoy Rotterdam
Gave 3 batikworkshops of 1 hour, every day at the Pasar Malam
The colourful results
In the Easter weekend I promoted Batik for 4 full days at the Pasar Malam Istimewa held in Ahoy Rotterdam. This Pasar is the biggest we have in the Netherlands and with their extensive cultural programming it is becoming one of the more interesting ones.
Last year I joined one day to give batikworkshops. Apparently the organization was contacted so much about it, that they invited me again, but now for all the days including an extra big stand to create an exhibition as well.
In 4 days I gave 12 batikworkshops, from 3 till 6 April, with the great help of Koen and Gwen who guided everyone through the process of making batik, next to waiting in line for jummy food!
About 160 small batiks were made, almost all made batik for the first time.
Next to the workshops, I made an exhibition with batiks by Mbak Eka, Ibu Nurul, Ibu Ramini, Ibu Siti & Mak Sium and photographs of the making process I made in 2022 & 2023.
Thank you Pasar Budaya & Indo’s be like for giving Batik a stage, thank you Carla & Maxime!
Gwen Scheerlings presenting her Batik Gerobak at the HKU
Gwen Scheerlings presenting her Batik Gerobak at the HKU
During the workshops at the Pasar Malam Gwen Scheerlings came to help me the first two days. With ease she guided the participants with me.
On Tuesday 10 February Gwen presented her Batik Gerobak at HKU, the Art Academy in Utrecht, as part of her graduation. The Batik Gerobak is a small workshop on wheels, created to make, promote & teach batik on any location. It has everything needed to make batik, including an Indigo dye vat.
I met Gwen about 2 years ago, she was already making Batik herself and reached out to me. She joined my workshops and went on a two month stay in Yogyakarta to learn batik, all by herself. In October she presented her work during the opening of ‘Masa depan Batik’ at the Indonesia House. She is having an amazing batik journey I am happy to be part of. Feel like a very proud Batik mom :)
Paper Sarong workshop on 11 April at Museum Rijswijk
Batikworkshop on 25 April for a group of 16 friends
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