Batik related Museumtips

My Museumcard with Batik Statement selfie

A post to highlight some exhibitions, because it was on my planning already and it is Museumweek starting this weekend. 

From 1 till 7 April it is Museumweek in the Netherlands. An this time they have a great action, people can go with borrowed Museumcards to museums. Normally the museumcard is person-specific with your name & photo on it, but for this week you CAN go with a card borrowed from someone. A lovely action, and if you want to lend my card, please leave a comment or send me an email. I will not have time to use it myself next week.

My reel in the exhibition 'Continue This Thread'

I first have to give as a tip an exhibition I am part of, ‘Continue This Thread’ at Amsterdam Museum. The exhibition is made by curator Roberto Luis Martins together with designers Karim Adduchi & Tess van Zalinge. The exhibition shows current designs with depot treasures, it highlights the act of mending and the passing on of crafts. It is a great show, a reward after the pandemic as you will, since it features projects that started in that time. 

Some of the works by Karim Adduchi are presented that I only knew from photos when I wrote the Modemuze post 'Ver­bin­den op af­stand: hoe mode daar­op in­speelt'. Like the Social [Distancing] Fabric Project. It is now beautifully displayed in one of rooms and it was for me extra special to see it after reading and writing about it. 

The exhibition has a room on the platform Modemuze. Here I am featured with a reel. The reel I made after visiting the batikworkshop Kamis Batik in Terengganu, Malaysia. It is just one of the videos, but like we say in Brabant “wie het kleine niet eert is het grote niet weerd” {if you do not honor the small, you are not worthy of the great}.  I am very proud to be featured in this lovely exhibition that gives the power of craft a stage. 

Go see Continue This Thread ~ it runs till 3 September, Amstel 51 location, in Amsterdam.

When you are at the museum, do visit the exhibition 'De Maasdamme collectie'. This collection of dioramas by Rita Maasdamme (1944–2016) tells about the histories of the former Dutch colonies from the unique perspective of enslaved people, Maroons, and the Indigenous population.

In other news; Wereldmuseum in Rotterdam, Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, Afrika Museum in Berg en Dal & Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden will all change their names into 'Wereldmuseum', so World museum. A much easier and more open name than Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen. The official name change will take place after the Summer.

Batiks in Kruispunt Rotterdam 

at Wereldmuseum

In September 2020 the semi-permanent exhibition Kruispunt Rotterdam opened at the Wereldmuseum in Rotterdam. I worked behind the scenes with curator Francine Brinkgreve for the selection of Batiks and change some of the information, because it had wrong dates and attributions. Unfortunately the edits didn't make it into the exhibition. It was said they would be changed, but until this day the old version of the information signs are in the display. Although this is frustrating, the batiks that are on display are wonderful. There is also an interactive display in which you can make a digital batik and other amazing textiles and objects.

Info with Nutmeg Batik in Tropenmuseum

In May 2020 I posted a blog 'What to do with the Nutmeg Batiks?' because I knew it was selected for the new semi-permanent exhibition at the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam. I was worried my provenance research would not be used, nor any new research would be done on this Batik. 

In June 2022 I was invited for the exhibition Our Colonial Inheritance. It was pretty busy, so the only thing I did was look for the batiks that were on display. My worries became reality. Not only was the batik attributed to Carolina Josephina von Franquemont, it also states this Nutmeg design was made for European women. Since there are hardly any Batiks with a nutmeg design known, it is a bold & painful claim considering the history of the nutmeg. Should we not be sure before putting it as facts in the description? Attribution is such a vage term. It is simply put that it is believed to be made by a certain person. However who believes it and on what grounds make if an attribution is believable. However it is not common to mention this, why not? Would it not make sense to add this information, to add the claimer as a disclaimer? Anyway, in a few months my final reports on my provenance and colour research will be finished & published (fingers crossed). I hope this will provide some more insights & disclaimers.

Batik objects at Stedelijk Amsterdam

For more Batik in the Netherlands, I have the following visit tips, also in Amsterdam. 

First 'Yesterday Today’ showing the Stedelijk Museum collection until 1950. In this exhibition is a room on Indonesian influence featuring Batik made in the Netherlands. It has a great big cabinet decorated with motifs using batik on wood designed by Louis Bogtman. A name I didn't knew before a student reached out to me about his work last Summer. There are also other objects by other makers. Several smaller pieces in a display case, a chair and a folding screen. Lovely pieces and you can easily combine a visit here to another exhibition in Amsterdam.

At Museum het Schip is until 27 August an exhibition on the relationship between the former Dutch East Indies and the Amsterdam School movement. In this exhibition again lovely pieces by Bogtman among others. 

Clock and batik cloth designed by Louis Bogtman 

at Museum Het Schip

I am also invited by Museum Het Schip to give a talk. In their Webinar series, Museum het Schip joins forces with Heritage hands-on, Pusat Dokumentasi Arsitektur, and Yayasan Museum Arsitektur Indonesia to explore these relations by inviting heritage experts, historians, architects, curators, and artists.

The Webinar on Wednesday 3 May {Netherlands (CEST): 14.00 - 16.00 hours / Indonesia (WIB): 19.00 - 21.00 hours } is about the application of batik in Indonesia as a heritage practice and its application in the late-colonial period by Dutch artists, including those of the Amsterdam School movement. How do the Dutch and Indonesians nowadays look upon the debate on artistic freedom versus the appropriation of a visual language and techniques from another culture? 

Hope to see you there!

Last minute tip, de exhibition 'Nijkerk en Nederlands-Indië' at Museum Nijkerk, runs till end of April. Not open on Sundays, so I haven't been able to go yet. But there is also a talk with the curator online who tells more about the research behind the exhibition and it continuation. 

And future tip, end of the year the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam will open their Indonesia exhibition. When I know more, I will update of course.

Photographer Cees de Jonge making a picture 

of a book in the library of Textielmuseum

For a reading tip, with the museumcard you also have entrance to the library of the Textielmuseum on weekdays. They have many books on Batik. It use to be my go-to-place in my early blogger years to study about Batik. For an upcoming story I am writing for Things That Talk we recently did a photoshoot of the objects in the library. It is not only a rich collection, it is also in a very nice library. Online you can browse the titles they have and they are always happy to help. So go & read!

And for a more active Batik experience. On Saturday 3 June I will give another workshop at De Katoendrukkerij in Amersfoort. For more info go to www.dekatoendrukkerij.nl

Thats all tips for now - If there are any batik related exhibitions, can be outside of the Netherlands too that you like to tip, please leave a comment. 

Feedback/reviews on visits you made after reading the tips in my blog are also welcome.

Enjoy your museum visits!

Ubud, Sumber Salak, Ungaran and Kaliwungu

At Sumber Salak in Jember

Ex-vulcano Ungaran

My short holiday in Bali didn’t really happen since my friend was really sick. Although I only saw Ubud & Tanah Lot, it was nice to meet this totally different culture in Indonesia; the many Balinese offerings, parades of nicely dressed people on their way to temples, ricefield with little shrines for Dewi Sri and sooo many half naked, burned tourists.I walked a couple of times the route ‘Bukit Campuhan’, a trail leading into Ubud city center to do grocery shopping. It was nice, and scary, to see insects & animals like ‘Kaki Seribu’ (duizendpoot/centipede) that I know so well as a batikmotif on the path. 

On one of the trips to get traintickets & cash for further traveling, I decided to head to the shop of Threads of Life. Their small shop in the center of Ubud displays Batik, Ikat and more in a stylish way. Inside I informed on the workshops. I first thought to just do the one morning workshop learning Batik & Indigo, but asked if I could still join the two days workshop on Natural dye the next day. “No problem”, the ladies in the store said, “just go to this address”.

So the next morning made my way through the ricefields, and the biggest flock of herons I ever saw blocking the road & hanging out in the trees, to the location. The place is really pretty, a small dye garden with a big covered outside space to do the workshops. 

We got a lot of information first. The team is so wonderful. Explaining in detail how to prepare the textiles and make the Indigo dyebath. Of course we also did all the steps ourselves. In the afternoon we got to dip our cloths in the Indigo vats. We even got to do some batik. I freestyled some local inspiration like the swallows I saw every morning and Balinese dancers. 

The second day we got to learn about dyeing black, yellow and brown. Our little group was already so much fun, funny how fast you bond, especially with the amount of washing our teacher made us do. The black was created by repeating a proces of tanning, dye and mordant. The dye is from mud from ricefields. To get the cloth dark black I repeated it about 10 times, maybe more, but it is very rewarding to see it change from “sheba cat” grey to black. We also painted with the mud, I based mine on the ‘Bukit Campuhan’ and the centipede I saw.

Wonderful to learn some more about natural dye and to be creative myself for a moment. 

Dyeing Indigo at Threads of Life

My batiks dyed with Indigo hanging to dry after boiling out the wax

The colour baths

My piece dyed in cokelat (brown), kuning (yellow) and hitam (black)

Outside in the sun before the rain started

Writing this part in the train to Semarang, next to a loud calling man... I am half way through this journey, left in the morning from Jember. I didn’t want to fly back to Java from Bali. It would take two planes to get to Semarang. So I ended up taking travel, a car for 7 people to Jember, which was a whole new adventure including a part by boat and dinner at 1am. Now I am traveling by train to Semarang. First to Surabaya where I shared a grab to the station and had lunch together with a fellow traveller. 

Old translation Sumber Salak in Jember 

In Jember I spend one day to explore part of a Batikhistory I have been uncovering since last year.

Last Summer I saw the batiks made by Mary Herrmann for the first time, I knew them before and was fascinated by the story and portrait of her kept in the Tropenmuseum collection too. I realized the one who donated the batiks seem to have more to share and luckily I got in contact fast with granddaughter Mary.

So I went to Jember to visit the region Mary, the batikmaker, grew up and meet with a local batikmaker Mbak Endang who joined me on my adventure. 

In one of the Batiks Mary made is a detailed drawing of the plantation run by her father. A plantation with according to the family cassava & Indigo. Mary’s batiks are all blue and said to be made at the batikworkshop that was at the plantation. In advertisements in which the father tries to sell the plantation for many years a local station is mentioned being very close by. So we started there. The station ‘Sumber Salak’ is no longer active and is no more than a small platform. Don’t know if it was bigger in the past, but it was great to visit, especially since Mary made a batik with a scene in it about catching a train too. 

We explored the region nearby the trainstation. Asked around, but nobody (yet) seemed the know about a old plantation or old (Dutch) buildings. Although part of the buildings must have been from stone, buildings in the area made with woven bamboo seem to be similar to that on Mary’s Batik. Next time I have to prepare an exact location search on old maps, my visit here was pretty spontaneous…

The region is full with a mixed growth of coffee, sugarcane, jati, papayas, coconut and rice. No cassave or Indigo, but I did see cassave later when I went to Kaliwungu.

Trying to find a higher spot to see if we could compare the mountains Mary draw in her batik to the ones seen from Sumber Salak, we reached a sign saying 'Zona erupsi'. Apparently the volcano was/is active and we would enter the danger zone if we would go up further. The driver and Mbak Endang were discussing to do this. Although super symbolic considering my research on Von Franquemont and how Mary come on my path through this actually, I said we should not go further up. Better next time, when it is safe. But did asked if we could go to another hill or mountain to get a view of the mountains in the region. 

We headed to another high spot close by. Two natural green hills, Gunung Sepikul, that honestly look like two breast coming from the ground, provided a very beautiful ‘pemandangan’ {view}. 

If we saw what Mary saw not sure. Wonder if she climb on a rock herself to get the view or it is actually from a photo or drawing…

We headed to another high view that I visited in 2016. I got really bad news that day I was there and the person who accompanied me turned out to be really bad…Sooo I was happy to revisit this place, this beautiful region, and make new memories here. Drank hot chocolate milk while thinking about this. Cannot believe it has been 6 years, how we miss you David!

Traditional bamboo house in Sumber Salak

Mbak Endang at Gunung Sepikul in Jember 

The afternoon I got to visit Mbak Edang’s home and see her batik designs. She has been making batik since 2019. Inspiration comes from local traditions, Indonesian culture and even the Netherlands which she visited too. Next to making batik, she has a blog 'My Life Journey', inspired by me, she says. So fun to meet this batikmaker in person and have a spontaneous batik adventure together! Looking forward to returning here and explore further!

Batiks made by Mbak Endang

Writing this next part in Pekalongan. Arrived here by train from Semarang this afternoon, a short trip after many epic ones...

So after my one day in Jember, I headed to Semarang. Main plan was to visit my friend Aris. 

First time I met Aris was in 2009 when he was one of the young artists living in Rumah Seni, the place I stayed in when I was trying to find batik on my first ‘journey to Batik’. We met every time I visited, but now a lot had happened in between. Aris got married, has a son and build a home, in Ungaran! The place we visited together in 2019 and my research focus is on because of Von Franquemont. So perfect to combine some exploring with catching up.

Spend a large part of my stay in Ungaran staring at Gunung Ungaran. I did not know this would be my view when I booked the guesthouse, two others were full and this one is pretty new. It was a surprise waking up the first morning and looking out of my window. I now totally understood Cézanne and his obsession with Montagne Sainte-Victoire.

While he only painted/draw his mountain 30 times, I think I photographed and filmed it in 3 days way more. See my appreciation post on Instagram.

This ex-volcano has quite a reputation ~ mistakingly being seen as the one who swept away batikentrepreneur Carolina Josephina von Franquemont, while actually she passed away after a long sickbed.

If she did have a batikworkshop on the foot or slope of this mountain, or just worked by herself making the few batiks her family donated, is still something I am trying to figure out. So spending a weekend in Ungaran, staring at this mountain was wonderful while following her families footsteps in the region.

Gedung Kuning in Ungaran

Building from 1910 in the same street in Ungaran

Me and Aris drove around in Ungaran on Saturday, visiting places that were graveyards in the past. A long shot, but couldn’t resist reaching out to Mas Adnan Rusdi for specific locations and hoping.

Got three spots marked on Google maps, that all turned out to be nothing while also not being nothing at the same time. While the graves had all disappeared, a few only recently apparently, we saw some interesting old, European buildings, revisited a couple of places and just had fun. I am lucky that I have in this part of the world friends who just want to drive me to a spot on a map I marked while I don’t even know why! 

The last remaining building of the sugar factory Kaliwoengoe on police property;

 the 'waterpomphuis', with in the background the main building and guesthouse

View from the guesthouse on the 'waterpomphuis' and 'smederij', the factory would have been behind and next to the smederij

Guesthouse from the front, build after 1910 in Kaliwungu

Mas Ruwanto sharing his data while explaining where is what and when

The next day I returned to Kaliwungu. This time in the great company of local researcher, might I say expert in Kendal history, Mas Ruwanto Tri, short Mas Iwan. We met online during the pandemic after Mas Iwan reached out after reading my blog about my visit to the sugarfactory Kaliwoengoe, or what is left of it, that was once owned by the sister of Von Franquemont. 

After my visit, construction started on the grounds that is owned by the police. Several building were build and old ones demolished. Mas Iwan was following the construction on side closely, sending me videos and photos through WA. Both worried that little that was left would be demolished too, we made a joined letter to the police asking them to keep the left over buildings in tact. Explaining their historical importance of no less then two centuries in which colonial rule, war, occupation and Revolusi all left there mark here. 

We still hope we can get the building officially protected, but since it is police owned this seem to be very difficult and we don’t know if we will be on time to do so (tips/advice/help is welcome!).

So returning to my visit, first I was really happy to see “our” buildings still there, and not looking worse. The growth around it is removed and maintained, so nature is no longer taken over these fragile constructions. 

Mas Iwan arranged for a permit for us to walk around and take photos, wowww! We even got escorted by a police officer, who gladly took photos of us in front of all the buildings. 

It was so great to be here with the expert; understanding how the buildings changed, some were renovated 3 times, which old photos were taken from which angles and where the factory actually was. To my surprise not on the empty field, but across the street. One building survived there too, the ‘smederij’. The building functioned later as a cinema in Mas Iwan’s youth, but is now empty.

It was so good to revisit and really have to put work in when I get home to see how we can turn the “waterpomphuis” in a small exhibition space to share this local history. That would be so fantastic!

Batik Fashionshow in Kendal

Mas Iwan not only arranged this amazing visit, he also made a Batik program for me. He asked around to see if we could visit local batikworkshops. He has been researching local batikhistory; tracing newspaper articles and reaching out to the familymembers. Currently there are no old workshops active, but new batik is being made. 

There was a small festival in Kendal where we saw a short part of a ‘Batik fashionshow’ with most contenders wearing printed textiles and visited the one batik stand. Bought two batiks, one kombinasi with all kind of local Kendalium (or Kendaalse?) reference and one with cap with the symbol of Kendal and a pattern of rice. Little did I know we would actually visit the maker. 

Mas Roni of Batik Linggo at work

Batik with prison design made in natural dye

After a beautiful drive through the region, heading towards Mount Ungaran, we reached Batik Linggo. 

Batik Linggo is run by Mas Roni who started it up 11 years ago, but has been active within batik 25 years. His main focus is education, so he gives workshops to local schools and people can follow a two day course learning Batik Tulis, Cap and natural dye. To my surprise Mas Roni knew me already. He saw my temporary carpet of natural dye at Museum Batik in Pekalongan. He showed us the batiks he made with natural dye with interesting motifs based on nature and even a prison.

Really hope to return here and do a workshop. The view from his place is fantastic!

Me & Mas Ruwanto Tri in front of the 'waterpomphuis'

Feel so lucky Mas Ruwanto organised all this. I know he is very busy and it means the world to me he makes time to spend the day with me and then I get so much more. So thank you Mas Iwan!

Next couple of days I am in Pekalongan, my last two weeks on Java before ‘pulang’, returning home.

Holding Batik closer to our heart

Presenting 'Demystifying Batik Belanda' at ACM in Singapore

Photo by Rossman Ithnain

Me in Utama pants by Baju by Oniatta in front of Utama pants 

in the exhibition 'Batik Kita' taken by the designer herself Oniatta Effendi

In the bus to Kuala Lumpur while writing this. The last few days or actually the last few months flew by. So a post reflecting on before my travels and this last week, depending how far we get during this busride.
After my trips to Vienna & Edinburgh, I stayed in the Netherlands, being busy with Batik, as always, I am so lucky I can truly call this my main job. 

At the end of June I was part of a symposium/workshop at the University Utrecht, first time and was surprised my paper got selected. The full program ‘Tapestry of Rules: Institutions and Cloth Industries in Global Comparative Perspective, 1750-2000’ mostly dove into the economic part of textile trade & production. Mainly graphs and numbers filled the slides. I was the only ‘artist’ on the program and my slides were all filled with images. Presented the zone ‘Fabric(s) of Leiden’ I created for Things That Talk on the Leidse cotton-printing company Leidsche Katoenmaatschappij. The feedback was really great, “you get to see the actual textiles”and everyone said that my photos were wonderful. So although this event wasn't strictly my field, my talk was welcomed with open arms. There were some great speakers & hope I can be part of this program by Textilelab in the near future again.

Paper Sarong workshop at MUZEE, looking together at the end results

Photo by Muzee Scheveningen/Sarah van Soldt

July was mostly filled with meet-up, preparing for Tong Tong Fair and meeting everyone before my filled August and being away in September. 
In August I gave three workshops, one Batik workshop at the beautiful Katoendrukkerij in Amersfoort and two workshops for the 15 August 1945 commemoration. Honoured to be asked to make a creative output for this, both in the form of a DIY and two workshops. I worked out the Paper Sarong concept I already did before, were people work together to make patterns, focussing more on the stories and don’t need to struggle with the difficult technique of Batik. 
The first I gave was at the cute museum MUZEE, 10 minutes from the sea in Scheveningen. It was a very hot day, but the workshop was still fully booked. After my introductions people started with trying out the oilpastel & watercolour on paper, before forming groups to make the sarong. Such nice pieces were made and more lovely, so many stories were shared. 
I gave the workshop again on 15 August at National Theater in Den Haag/The Hague, a bit more nervous, since the day is a heavy one for many. But the participants were really happy having this alternative, creating way to commemorate that day and it was such a lovely experience.

Paper Sarong workshop at Nationaal Theater, reflecting on the work will still painting

From 1 till 11 September the Tong Tong Fair was finally taking place again in Den Haag/The Hague. After May 2019, we were planned to be back with our Batik Stand; me, Romée Mulder and Myrthe Groot of Guave. But it was postponed 3 times. 
The concept of our Batik Stand was the same, only it would be bigger, better and more prominent. Our Batik Island as it was called by the organization was the first thing you see when entering! We couldn’t be more prominent. It was such a surprise, a dream come true. The main reason for organizing the Batik Stand was to bring real Batik back, to give it a stage again, and back it was!
The Batik Island was made up as half a circle, designed by Sabrina Luthjens with on the outside the exhibition ‘Batik makes the man’ which I curated together with Florine Koning after the concept of Leslie Boon. In the exhibition the development of batik worn by men from sarong to pants, and from pants to shirt was shown. With the question, or statement “The batik sleeping pants was an Indo-European invention worn strictly at home”, I started researching. I soon found out the Batik pants could be also found outside of the house, worn by European men while going on a picknick or at work. I also started finding photos of other local men wearing the pants. The pandemic time I spend going through archives and whenever I spotted a patterned trouser on a black and white photo I would save it. 
At the Tong Tong Fair we shared the first findings. What other questions they raise and that still need to be explored. But very happy that we could share this new perspective, or wider perspective on this history.
The open structure of the exhibition made people walk right in our shop, small expo on what Batik is and I had a chest with many batikbooks. We were there daily from 10am till 10pm. Almost every day we had a special guest like batikmaker, researcher, recently graduated students working with batik and even a chef. People could come to me with Batik they owned for consultation and bring a clothing item to the upcycle atelier by Guave. Both were used a lot, I saw so many lovely batiks and I will follow up for sure soon after my travels. Guave got more items to add Batik on then they had time for to do, amazing that we can bring this subtitle sustainable way of thinking about clothing in such a nice form. Also have to add credits to Ayla Pijman here to, the new member of Guave, who spend hours putting patches over stains and holes and adding pockets to often Fast Fashion items. 
I want to thank everyone who dropped by, for asking about Batik, browsing the books, make me sell out of my batik stock (amazing!), brought there precious batiks, the special guest; Sandra Niessen, Dido Michielsen, Yulia Pattopang, Pris Roos, Shuen-Li Spirit, Suzanne Liem/Batik Patron Ambarawa, Laurens Tan, Arlene Dwiasti, Maureen Tan and thank you to my dream team, the Guave ladies, up to the next adventure!

Your Batik Island hosts; me, Alya, Myrthe & Romée

Batik Consultation in the Batik Stand 

Amazing how many people used this service, thinking of doing it again in a separate event

Right after Tong Tong Fair, I was heading to Singapore. Feeling overwhelmed and unprepared I manage still to get everything done as good as I could, since my talks would be right after I arrived on Friday in the weekend. 
Was invited by Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) to give a talk as a continuation of getting my research ‘Re-telling the history of the (Indo-)European influence on Batik’ out there. After my talk for the Facebook group ‘Batik Sayang’, I was lucky enough to share part of my research in Vienna & Edinburgh already. 
* People asking me where to read more of my research, or watch related talks. Please feel free to contact me & I can send previous articles by email to you. More articles are coming out/up, so I keep you updates on that too.

Presenting 'Demystifying Batik Belanda' at ACM in Singapore

Photo by Rossman Ithnain

Coastal batiks / Pesisiran in 'Batik Kita' at ACM

'Batik Kita' at ACM with view on Batik from Cirebon

After a direct flight, I arrived in the early evening. The next day was my talk at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) in Singapore. I went a little earlier so I could see the exhibition ‘Batik Kita’, were my talk ‘Demystifying Batik Belanda' was part of. After seeing briefly the wonderful museum, I headed toward the basement to give my talk. A little nervous at first, but so glad with all the familiar faces that turned up, I share some of the finding from my recent research ‘Re-telling the history of the (Indo-)European influence on Batik’. After my talk there was some time for questions, and there were so many, so great and diverse. Someone asked if I used a computer program to make my matches of batiks on wearers. If someone invented it, please let me know. But I had to explains it is just hours going through digitale databases. Someone asked about how to recognized if a Batik has been worn and many questions on how we should deal with other mistakes that might be in Batik literature. Very happy to meet the new generation that is ready to dive into this history too. 

'Kawan Kita' at Galeri Toko Kita with host Tony Sugiarta

On Sunday I was the guest at Galeri Toko Kita to talk among Batik friends in the Kawan Kita talk series organised by Oniatta Effendi & Tony Sugiarta by aNERDgallery. In the beautiful shop, which is a truly a love letter to Batik, I got to tell more behind the scenes/screens on my journey to Batik. We got so wrapped up in a discussion on Fake Batik and why we all love Batik, I didn’t even share all my slides. I also finally got to shop a Baju by Oniatta piece, my own pair of Utama pants. Which I wore right away to ACM again on Wednesday when I got to see ‘Batik Kita’ and the rest of the museum. 
It was great to have two such different presentations, and so wonderful that people came to both. Feeling like am welcomed by a new Batik family here, I feel so lucky and honoured. Thank you al for coming, supporting my journey and for loving Batik. As Oniatta says it perfectly: “Jauh Dikenang Dekat Disayang. Holding batik closer to our hearts.”

Showing my Batik relate Art works during 'Kawan Kita' at Galeri Toko Kita

After the weekend filled with talks, I was lucky to spend the other days meeting friends, being a tourist and trying out all local foods. Singapore is really amazing, all the colourful houses, had to photograph every single one. The murals in the Chinese neighborhood to explain its history. The Museums, just saw the National Gallery and ACM collection, but they are already so good. Cannot wait to return and visit the others. 
How lucky I am being guided around this interesting city ~ Monday started of with a visit to the National Gallery together with Tony. I went a little earlier and found myself in the rooms showing works from the collection in a decolonized space. First display I saw was on Batik and the influence Dutch colonial rule had on it. Next room had several paintings by Raden Saleh. Being eye to eye with the tigers that in the past were eye to eye with our royal family! Another stunning piece of horseman, made me think of a bamboo hat I got to see from the Tropenmuseum collection to write a blogpost for Modemuze. Wonder the hat in the collection can actually be a noblemen hat…

Painting 'Six Horsemen Chasing Deer' by Raden Saleh from 1860

At National Gallery Singapore

Raden Sarah's 'Boschbrand (Forest Fire)' from 1849

At National Gallery Singapore

The exhibition I had to see was on Aboriginal Art, ‘Ever Present: First people Art of Australia’. I knew it included Batiks from Batik Utopia, but it had also paintings and batik by Emily Kame Kngwarreye, such an inspiration (see previous blogpost 'London Baby'). A great show, a must visit if you can. It shows the development of Aboriginal Art in 4 spaces, from early acrylic painting to more political statement pieces. 
On Monday evening Eunice organised an amazing dinner to meet Batik friends with amazing Indian food.

Detail of Batik by Emily Kame Kngwarreye

in the exhibition ‘Ever Present: First people Art of Australia'

At National Gallery Singapore

Batik on cloth 'Mother and Child' by Chuah Then Teng, c. 1950s,

At National Gallery Singapore

Tuesday I got a tour of city by the perfect tourguide Eeling. We met in Utrecht, when I gave her and Eunice a tour. Was so happy we got to spend the day to explore the Chinese, Indian & Peranakan Chinese neighborhood and all the yummy food that goes with it. Saw so many houses I would love to live in, so colourful and stunning. 

Mural in Chinese neighbourhood

Writing a letter to Koen 

Photo by Eeling Koh

Colourful houses of Singapore

On Wednesday I could join the tour with Oniatta through Batik Kita with nice stories by our tourguide Hafiz Rashid. The exhibition is stunning. The batiks are displayed in full length, 3 above each other. It made it a little hard to see details on the pieces on top, but it was very nice how the different styles/areas/times were shown three pieces at a time. Next to the full batiks, there was much room for batik fashion. A section showed wearers from Singapore, from the flight attendance uniforms in the past, to nowadays well known batik wearers. The other ‘stages’ showed different designers, which included the Utama pants by Oniatta. So great to own & wear a piece that is on display! 
There is a catalog in the making, so keep you posted when it is out!

Next to Batik Kita, got invited to lunch by Jackie Yoong and she showed me the Fashion and Textiles space at ACM ~ A recently acquired 18th century English traditional dress made from painted cotton from India was the highlight in the room, next to sarong from three generations of the Nio family paired with kebaya ~  of which one was from the former Museum Nusantara collection. 
After lunch I walked around ACM again to see the Batik Besurek in the Islamic Art. I used this object in my talk since it is actually an imitation, most likely made in the Netherlands. It therefor is a real ‘Batik Belanda’ { > read/hear more about how Batik Belanda was the local name on Java for imitations from Europe in the 19th & 20th century in this story/YouTube video/instagram post}
We bumped into Chor Lin Lee, curator of Batik Kita at ACM, who was the one inviting me for the talk ~ happy I could finally meet Chor Lin in person, the author of the first Batik book I bought and cannot wait for the next one.

Thursday I got to meet textile collector, curator and writer Peter Lee. It is so amazing to meet so many people during this trip that I admired from afar for so long. Got to see some extraordinary pieces from Peter’s collection and an open invite to browse through more when I return to Singapore.  

Will return to Singapore for sure, still many people to meet & many to revisit. 

Thank you all for the warm welcome & looking forward seeing you online, 

in person or somewhere in the world!

Colourful house in Little India

in Singapore

Selamat Ulang Tahun

Celebrating my blogs birthday with loads of Batik related things to read, watch and to enjoy!

Still from Maracosa by Papermoon puppet theater

Today my blog turns 13 years. It been quite the journey! From a travelblog, to a place where I could share my new inspirations and interest on batik to a more research- and update-based blog all about my journey to Batik.

While I promise myself to update my blog regularly, I have so many places where I can share my stories now that they hardly find their way here anymore. Buttt, I can update you, dear reader, of where you can find my stories, what else I have been up to and what other exciting batiks things are out there. 

So Selamat Hari Kartini, Happy birthday to my blog and enjoy!

Batiks at Maison Amsterdam 

Display of Batiks at Maison Amsterdam

Photo by Sabine Bolk

In January a new blogpost for Modemuze went online. In October we visited the exhibition ‘Maison Amsterdam' at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. Because there was Batik on display, I suggested to make a more in-depth blog about it. My post went online during the lockdown when museums still were closed. The exhibition ‘Maison Amsterdam’ was made around the theme ‘Freedom’. In the exhibition Batik is shown with loans by wearers & with a suite by Guave. In my post I highlight the wearers of the Batiks shown and unravel some myths. In the exhibition a photo of one wearer is shown, but another photo of a wearer was send to me when I contacted the family. Both have an interesting story to tell, but for me the most remarkable aspect is how they are displayed. Let’s take look. The one we start with is most prominently in the display. A sarong & kebaya on a mannequin owned by Ida Glasius and on loan from granddaughter Arletta Kaper. First thing I saw was that the batik was displayed upside down, and that it was not a batik, but an early silkscreen printed textile. Batiks displayed upside down (on & offline) are a common mistake here, but there was more…The only photo of a wearer in this display is that of Ida Glasius. Ida wears a similar loose kebaya on the photo and a different Batik, but it is also upside down. Both sarongs have a Garuda pattern; one with only the wings, Lar, and one with the complete bird, Sawat, Garuda motifs are usually worn with the wings pointing up. You can compare it with a horseshoe, upsidedown is bad luck. Whether Ida Glasius wore the Batik upside down as a fashion choice, statement or by mistake, we will probably never find out, but an interesting story never the less.

Since writing my post for Modemuze I have found more photos of wearer with their Batiks upside down and also saw another sarong on display upside down, online, at Kunstmuseum in Den Haag. Something to explore further, perhaps there is a simple explanation for it or it is just a very common mistake...

Photo of Ida

Credit: Arletta Kaper

The other Batik is from Fientje Hanna Hahury Lawalata. Fientje’s sarong is a little more hidden in the display. A pity, since it is the only real one that is signed. It was photographed by Amsterdam Museum. In the kepala is the signature ‘Nj Gan Kaij Bian’, also known as ‘Gan Kay Bian’. In the NMvW collection is similar batik from this batikentrepreneur (TM-5663-1180). The family send me a photo of Fientje wearing the batik posing together with her family. It is very special to have a photo of the wearer. We can date the batik better, since the photo is taken around 1947. Fientje wore sarong kebaya every day, even after migrating to the Netherlands. Her family let me know they found it so special her clothing was being displayed and think Fientje would be very proud.

Display with loans by Norma Hahury and Arletta Kaper

Photo by Sabine Bolk

Sarong signed by Gan Kay Bian

Credit: Amsterdam Museum 

Fientje Hanna Hahury Lawalata with her mother, husband and daughter. 

Credit: Norma Hahury

Batikworkshops

Student takes Batik out of Indigobath at HKU

Photo by Sabine Bolk

After the last lockdown, giving workshops is up and running again. Next to finally returning to De Vrolijkheid for a fun workshop creating Colour-Fans, I have been giving Batikworkshops. First one of the year was a last-minute-short-intro on Batik for Artstudents at the HKU in Utrecht. The students had a week of learning about Blue, dyeing with Indigo, blockprinting, Shibori organised by Craft Council Nederland and I gave Batik. The creations made in the morning were dyed blue synthetic & natural by the students themselves.

Batikworkshop at Cultuurspoorhuis in Middelburg

Photo by Sabine Bolk

Removing the wax

Photo by Liesbeth Labeur

End of last month I had a three day mini-batik-holiday in Middelburg. I gave two days on two locations the workshop and removed all the wax on the third day. We had to reschedule this workshop twice, but very happy it could finally take place, in good company & with such good weather. Thank you Liesbeth Labeur for organising, thanks Pennywafelhuis & Cultuurspoorhuis and thank you to the participants.

Documenting each others Batiks at Lunteren

Photo by Sabine Bolk

Right after returning from Middelburg, I gave an evening workshop at Stichting Ana Upu hosted by Mantelzorgpunt in Lunteren. I gave a talk there in October and they asked me if they could also get a Batikworkshop by me. We had only two Monday evenings, so I adapted it to fit our time-schedule and was amazed what we could create in just 3 hours basically. My oldest participant was 93, although she found it a very difficult technique she still created several small pieces of Batik. I loved that at the end of the second evening everyone was making photos of each other’s work.

Watch online

In January I gave a talk for CIHC on 'An overview of Peranakan Batik in Dutch Museums' and a little visual trip to Lasem. It was great to share how to access the archives and how to find these beauties kept in Dutch depots. I was also honoured to be a speaker between a Batiklegend as Ibu Widianti of Oey Soe Tjoen, Ibu Idrawati sharing her Gan family Batiklegacy and scholar & collector Christoper Ng.

You can watch the talk back on Youtube

Business card for Suze Zijlstra designed by me in front of original design

Two years ago historian Suze Zijlstra asked me if I knew someone to design her business card. She wanted something maybe with batik and referring to her research & upcoming book ‘De Voormoeders’. I sayed I would love to do it. When we had our first lockdown I started designing her card. A year later her card was printed and in September 2021 her book was published. Since up till now Suze did not had many opportunities to hand out the card, I thought it would be nice to share the card, the inspiration & her book in a Batik Consultation video. We talk in depth about one of Suze's ancestors, Tan Kim Njo, and the batiks that she wore. And how those batiks inspired the business card I designed for Suze.

Now online on Youtube

Batik Consultation with Suze Zijlstra, historian and author of the book ‘De Voormoeders’ that was published last year. We talk in depth about one of Suze’s ancestors, Tan Kim Njo, and the batiks that she wore. And how those batiks inspired the business card I designed for Suze.

Newsssss

I am so exciting to share this news here. I have two talks this upcoming May. First one on 3 May, Tuesday evening, at the Weltmuseum in Vienna, Austria. My first talk abroad since the start of the pandemic. I have given talks on international stages these past two years, thank you, but this one will be for a live audience on location! I am so happy I get to share my research of the past couple of years here and dive into the depot during my visit there.

For more info and to register go to www.weltmuseumwien.at

My second talk will be for The Association of Dress Historians Annual New Research Conference 2022 for their New Research in Dress History Conference held offline at National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and online. My first conference! I feel like a proper researcher now ;)! 

In my talk 'A Batik collection fit for a Lady' I will share my current research in which I focus on the wearer, especially on ladies that were of European descent who dressed in Batik sarongs themselves during colonial times in Indonesia. Extensive collections have been kept in the Netherlands, privately and in museum-collections. These kept batik-collections provide us still with new interesting insides and different angles to share this history. For this presentation I focus on 41 batiks that were donated by Jonkvrouwe Anna Cecile Aurélie Jeanne Clifford, Jonkvrouwe as in damsel. The donation is an unusual wardrobe for a lady that apparently had never been to Indonesia herself. The batiks most likely belonged to her mother, Theodora Adriana Lammers van Toorenburg, who was born in 1852 in the former Dutch East Indies. This collection provides us with interesting insights into what was worn by whom and how the wearer can provide us with provenance that is often overlooked in batik-research.

For more info check dresshistorians.org

For tickets and more on the program see www.eventbrite.co.uk

See-Do-Enjoy

Still from Maracosa by Papermoon puppet theater

'MARACOSA'  by Papermoon Puppet theater

till 10 June 2022

Yogyakarta ID

One of those things I wish to visit myself. The exhibiton 'MARACOSA'  by Papermoon Puppet theater at the moment held Omah Budoyo in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It runs till 10 June 2022, so if you nearby Ayo! I saw the stunning puppetshow they made online, all about Batik and how the love for it need to be passed on to a younger generation for it to survive. It make me cry out loud, so beautiful and strong. A must-see if you can!

Display of 'Fake Batik', object selection by my at De Lakenhal

Misleiden at De Lakenhal

till 12 June 2022
Leiden NL

Exhibition 'Misleiden' at De Lakenhal in Leiden and the publication with the same title both include 'Fake Batik'. Exhibition runs until 12 June 2022 and the book is now for sale at bookstores & online

Colonial Stories by Amsterdam Museum

till 18 September 2022

Amsterdam NL

The exhibition 'Colonial Stories' at the temporary location, Amstel 51, of Amsterdam Museum including several Batik pieces and even imitation batik. The exhibition runs until 18 September 2022. 

Langs Geborduurde Wegen at Museum Kantfabriek

till 25 september 2022

Exhibition made with the collection of Ien Rappoldt showing the traditional wear and textile traditions, including Batik, from Southwest-China

Kleurstof at Textielmuseum

till 2 October 2022

Tilburg NL

Exhibition 'Kleurstof' at Textielmuseum in Tilburg dives into the world of colour. It includes recreated old recipes (which I tried one of), the routs of colonial trade (which I worked on too) and much more.