Batik Girl, The Fabulous Józefa Kogut

Turned wood decorated with batik, 1923, by Józefa Kogut

MEK collections

Me with Józefa at the entrance of the exhibition, 

animation by Kinga Klisz

Main reason to go to Kraków, was to still see the exhibition ‘Batik Girl. The Fabulous Józefa Kogut’. Almost missed it, but the Muzeum Etnograficzne w Krakowie (MEK) extended it till 20 September. 

I knew about the batik made in Krakow mostly through Maria Wronska-Friends writing. In 2006 she also curated an Batik exhibition at this museum. In the catalog the Javanese batiks from Rudolf Smends collection are shown next to the batiks made in Poland, she shows how strong the influence of motif was on the Polish designs and how big the batikmania was. 

Display with batik & paint on wooden objects by Józefa Kogut

MEK collections

Wooden box  decorated with batik, 1921, by Józefa Kogut, WANT!

MEK collections

The exhibition now highlights one Polish batikmaker, Józefa Kogut (1902–1979). She was based in Krakow were she learned the technique of drawing with wax using a canting as a young girl at the batik workshop run by Antoni Buszek founded in 1913. From the start Józefa’s sisters learned to make batik there, on textiles, but also wood. In 1919 Józefa joined. 

She made batik on cotton & silk, and on wood like chocolate boxes, toys & Easter eggs. 

The tradition of Batik is not so out of the box for Poland as one might think. The tradition of decorating eggs for Easter, pisanki, is actually done with a wax resist technique using a small wax pen that is often heated above a candle. 

Girls from the Krakow workshop

At the table holding up the plate is Józefa Kogut

MEK collections

Her tools!

Canting with wax still inside

Girls at the Batik studio at the Krakow workshop

Pisanki display at MEK

Pisanki display at MEK

With Antoni Buszek adaptation of Javanese batik, the wax pen was filled with wax and heated above a burner similar to how pisanki is done.

It was great to see more folk art at the other building of MEK to put Józefa work in perspective. Antoni Buszek let his students, or batik producers, work freely.

We thought it was a bit like painting at school. We drew more and more boldly, birds and plants, animals and all sorts of flourishes. Under Professor's guidance and with his encouragement, unexpected and amazing drawings were created, without any patterns being copied or imposed on us.

~ Józefa Kogut

Paper cutting art at MEK

Paper cutting art at MEK

Paper cutting art at MEK

Paper cutting art at MEK

The motifs drawn by Józefa look like a mix between Javanese batik & Polish folk art like pisanki & paper-cutting art. The mirroring in her designs is clearly taken from the paper-cutting art. The circles, and also her birds are like the Polish folkart birds. Great to see examples of this artform after seeing the batiks and see this connection in design. 

Display of some of Józefa's batik object of MNK collection

Batik on ceramics by the Krakow workshop

There was more batik being created in Krakow. In the MNK Museum of Applied Art next to batik by Józefa (from Maria Wronska-Friend I understood that MNK has a large collection of her work including many early pieces by her), there was also a vitrine with batik made on ceramic and copper (?!) by other makers in Krakow.

Tablecloth by Józefa Kogut

batik on raw cotton fabric from 1928

MEK collections

Part from the batik-decorated wall hanging exhibited in  the dining room 

at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts 

in Paris in 1925

MEK collections

In 1925 she and her sister are awarded for their contribution to the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. A dining room was decorated with batik, as a kind op wallpaper, by Józefa. Only a piece of it remains. In dark blue with a drawing in white  the center is filled with diamonds, ending in a big flower, framed by two flower garlands. On this piece a big butterfly between the leaves, on the ones on the photo also birds are visible.

The exhibition asked if she could afford to attend, but I couldn’t find an answer. Both their awards are in the exhibition too. 

Dress and batik fabric from 1926

MEK collections

Detail of pillowcase by Józefa Kogut

from ca. 1925

MEK collections

Detail of batik on silk by Józefa Kogut

MEK collections

The only Javanese (Cap) Batik in the exhibition, 

with reflection of projection of animation by Kinga Klisz

MEK collections

Józefa continued making batik even after the workshop closed in 1926 until the war starts in 1939. Her work is sold as souvenirs, in Poland and abroad. 

In the exhibition are next to batik on cloth and wood, also drawing. Little sketches for batiks, but also drawings & postcards of religious scenes & fantasy worlds. 

After the war she continues. A bio by herself in the exhibition reads as follows; 

In 1945, I returned to artistic work and was employed by the Artists Cooperative as a batik and pottery artist... From 1952 to 1968 my artistic and souvenir works (hand-painted on wood) were purchased by CPLIA [Centre of Folk Handicraft and Art] in Krakow, intended for export only.

From 1968, due to poor eyesight and bad health in general, I have not been gainfully employed. At first I received a monthly 500 zloty allowance from the Ministry of Art and Culture, and as of 1 October 1971 was awarded a special pension of 1,500 zloty a month.

And so, fifty years of my work in this field have passed.

In 1973 she trying to find a home for about 200 of objects she created, both batiked & painted. 

In 1981, two years after her death her sister Zofia donated it to the MEK.

Drawing by Józefa Kogut

MEK collections

Drawings by Józefa Kogut

MEK collections

Drawings by Józefa Kogut

MEK collections

The town mascot, Lajkonik, 

painted and with batik by Józefa Kogut

MEK collections

The exhibition shows many of Józefa’s lovely creations and is beautifully set-up. With colourful walls, her batiks get even more outspoken. With animations and also a do-it-yourself drawing booklet, her designs are brought to life, by illustrator Kinga Klisz. In the last room of the exhibition, you could colour and play dress-up to become part of Józefa's world. Of course I had to give it a go!

From one Batik girl to another, love this whole exhibition completly❣️

Also a book got made. I just missed the publication of it, but it share the work & story of the three sisters. Maria, Zofia and Józefa all learned the batik technique at the Krakow Workshops, lived together all their lives and supported each other. From some works it is no longer clear who made it, and perhaps or very likely the produced works together as well. You can order the book at the museum giftshop now.

Moments in Wien

With Ibu Jani, former curator Insular Southeast Asia Collection of Weltmuseum, at her batik display at Weltmuseum

Painting by Klimt at Belvedere

During my In the Blaudruck apprenticeship-journey, I also got to spend some time in Vienna. Last time I was here was in 2022. I stayed two days, of which one was visiting the depot and giving a talk at the Weltmuseum and the other day visiting the Wiener Secession & Theatermuseum which was absolutely great. I really wanted to return and happy I got to go back after 4 years. Now I got three days, which were well spend again, so lets dive into it!

New display of Textiles and Carpets with focus on inspiration in the broadest sense

 

On 30 April I managed to get an appointment at the MAK, Museum of Applied Arts depot to look at some Javanese batiks. I saw after my last visit a video of the museum in which a batik was on display. When looking at their online collection, turns out they have some Javanese batiks, but also batik made in Europe. 

Curator Lara Steinhäußer welcomed us and gave us a tour through the new textile display. Amazing carpets, cloths, clothing and small samples to show the diversity of the MAK collection together with how inspiration goes further then just copying techniques or motifs. 

In the depot I looked at Javanese batiks donated in 1886. All looked new, unworn, and seem really typical of that time from pieces I saw. It is not allowed to share any photos of the depot visit itself, but in the MAK online collection there are good images of all the batiks they have. And the images can be downloaded too. So I highlight three here:

Batik Tulis & Cap 

inventory nr; T 3936

With label: Ayam Koetjing (Indonesian: Ayam, Kucing = Chicken, Cat)

from 1870-1880

Credit MAK/Branislav Djordjevic

Isn't is the loveliest weirdest batik? The cats with their human like faces and moustache! 

Batik Tulis

inventory nr;  T 3938

With label: Pohon kamari. Could be Kamari tree (Gmelina arborea | Cashmere tree)

from 1870-1880

Credit MAK/Branislav Djordjevic

All these batiks have a paper label with a description in Indonesian/Malay on the motif

Batik Tulis

inventory nr;  T 3946

With label: ‘Strep strep’ (Dutch: Streep streep = lines)

from 1870-1880

Credit MAK/Branislav Djordjevic

The colours still so lovely, with a blue and red, green and purple (from overdyeing)

I also looked at one batik piece by the Dutch artist Johan Thorn Prikker. On a thicker velvet he created these interlocking flowing shapes in black on a pinkish colour. The museum bought three batiks by him in 1901 from the World exhibition held in Paris in 1900. 

Batik by Thorn Prikker from the MAK Collection

inventory nr; T 5477

Credit MAK/Katrin Wißkirchen

An interesting collection, apparently it hasn’t been requested to look at for a long time ~ Martina Dax told us it was never requested in the time she has been working in the depot. So it also hasn’t been on display also, apart from the one Batik with cats & chicken. Time for a Batik exhibition in Vienna, I think! But first much work to do back home. One of reasons to look at the batik by Thorn Prikker is that I am currently working on an Batik exhibition for the Kunstmuseum in Den Haag (NL). More on this soon, but the focus is on their collection of batik made both on Java and in the Netherlands between 1890-1930. 

Tree of life detail, from design by Klimt at MAK

Batik by Else Augusta Stübchen-Kirchner from 1920 at MAK

Display of Wiener Werkstätte textiles and textile designs with sliding doors

Display of Wiener Werkstätte textiles and textile designs

Dress by Josef Hoffmann, from 1910at MAK

Outfit by Wiener Werkstätte, want!

In the afternoon took time to visit the museum and enjoy all textiles, in the new permanent set-up Textiles and Carpets & in the new display on the Wiener Werkstätte. Now on display is a small batik made in Vienna and a imitation sample made by Voortman – nv Texas (1790-1988) in Belgium (more samples of thsi Belgium company in their online database ). In my previous post ‘Preparing the Blaudruck journey’ I shared I saw some blockprinting blocks from the same company at the Momu collection. Wonder how their archive got so scattered. But then again, most cottonprinting archives are (see Things That Talk zone ‘Fabric(s) of Leiden’). 

The Muster Room at MAK

Downstairs at the museum there is the Munster room, some of these samples were also shown upstairs. These historical  Biedermeier fabrics samples from between 1824 - 1845 give a nice, colourful insight in what was worn in this period. The display is lovely. 

It was an inspiring visit, and many thanks Lara Steinhäußer for taking the time to share the great new textile display she made!

Entrance to the exhibition ‘The Ultimate Breath’ by Indonesian artist Indah Arsyad

On 1st of May got to meet Jani Kuhnt-Saptodewo, the former curator of the Insular Southeast Asia Collection. In 2022 she invited me to gave a talk at the Weltmuseum, but she was in Indonesia when I held it. Now 4 years later (my talk was on 3 May 2022, see blogpost 'Gruss aus Wien') we finally meet.

Ibu Jani guided us through the new temporary exhibition by Indonesian artist Indah Arsyad. The artist addresses air & water pollution in Indonesia in the exhibition ‘The Ultimate Breath’. 

The exhibition stems from the artist’s deep concern about climate change and environmental pollution. In her works, Arsyad breathes new life into symbols of Javanese mythology and culture – wayang, gamelan, and traditional songs. The gunungan symbol, which represents balance in nature, features particularly prominently in her work. Symbols such as the deity Batara Kala, the waves of the ocean, and the Kalpataru tree reflect the interconnectedness of all life. They draw parallels with photosynthesis, which connects the sun, plants, and phytoplankton as sources of oxygen on Earth.

Of course going through the Weltmuseum, I saw many interesting things that caught my eye, like these Japanese Katagami stencils and blue prints. Apparently the fabrics were collected by Heinrich von Siebold and the stencils from the Vienna World's Fair in 1873 later inspired Art Nouveau artists in Vienna. 

Japanese blue printed textiles from the Vienna World's Fair in 1873

We of course also visited the batik display, 

that might be changed soon since these batiks have been up for a while now. 

The step by step batik process is also great. 

Made in Batang, organised by Pak William Kwan.

Painting by Raden Saleh at Weltmuseum in Vienna

On 7 May I had time to go to Belvedere, the museum housed in the palace, in Vienna. My feet were a bit worn out, but I was still very happy to walk through all the buildings, seeing all the splendour & seeing paintings by Klimt. Some details of the many, many painting by Klimt, which I was very happy to see from upclose.

The painting of Klimt I had as postcards of it my room, made me want to study Art. It felt like a full circle moment, again! This journey was again such a confirmation how wrong my teachers were at the Art Academy, or better, how long they kept me from the path I wanted to follow. Luckily I was stubborn enough to walk it anyway. I just wanted to work with patterns & totally was fascinated by Art created around the 1900’s, and I am happy I can tell my younger self “We did it, we are doing it!". 

Lower Austrian Country Wedding from 1843, by Waldmüller

The museum has next to Klimt & Schiele, many amazing works by Austrian artists including many 19th century painting depicting landscaped & people. It was fun to see if I could spot any Blaudruck and pretty sure some painters did capture it in often subtle and stunning ways. 

The Harvest from 1908, by Koller-Pinell

Brushwood Gatherers in the Vienna Woods from 1855, by Waldmüller

'The Neighbours' from 1859 by Waldmüller, so cheeky!!

The way his apron is folded, is a sign you are done for the day with work

View of the Imperial Estate Emmersdorf from 1826, by Rebell

Bonus to my visit was herman de vries lavender carpet. How lucky to get to see so many artists I like and admire! 

I also got to see the just opened exhibition on Anni Albers ‘Constructing Textiles’. I missed it before in the Netherlands. It was the first exhibition on her work held at the Kunstmuseum! I am not that much into weaving, and thought before it would not be my cup of tea. But it was actually great to see, especially how they worked with her collecting of old South American textiles, her years teaching and the sketches, her finished designs and her husbands collaborative.

108 pounds of lavender flowers

Lavender carpet by herman de vries at Belvedere

on view till 13 September 2026

Weaver, author, designer, artist, visionary, and teacher-Anni Albers (1899-1994) uniquely combined all of these roles. Weaving for her was a constructive act, a process of building from threads to create textile structures that unite form, function, and aesthetics- While studying weaving at the Bauhaus, Albers developed an experimental approach to material in which the starting point for every design was the fiber itself. She was interested in the individual thread, its feel, and its visual expression.

Weaving by Anni Albers

sketch by Anni Albers

Her encounter with pre-Columbian textile art in Mexico and the Andes also had a lasting influence on her work. The highly developed Incan and Mayan weaving techniques, their abstract formal vocabulary, and the use of textiles as a conveyor of information broadened her perspective.

The exhibition Constructing Textiles, whose title is taken from an essay written by the artist in 1946, is devoted to Albers's wide-ranging oeuvre. It focuses on five projects in which Albers collaborated with architects.

These commissions clearly illustrate how she took account of the requirements of the different spaces when developing new textiles. Apart from innovative textile designs, the exhibition also explores her experimentation with the limits of weaving itself, as reflected not only in her pictorial weavings but also

- Anni Albers saw her work in her graphic art. as an adventure. It is to be hoped that this exhibition will also inspire, shift perspectives, and arouse curiosity.

- Exhibition is open until 16 August 2026 at Belvedere

Carpet by Anni Albers

sketch for carpet

sketch for carpet

Vitrine with small sample fo the final carpet and photo of how the carpet was used, look how the shadows create an extra pattern onto the carpet!

I really did enjoyed her works. It was also great to see indeed how innovating her designs were and how the re-appreciation of Textile as Art, and women in the Art/design world, make for great exhibitions! I hope what I am working on now can be part of this hopeful trend!