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What is Batik?
Batik is a wax-resist dyeing technique used on textile.
The word batik originates from the Javanese tik and means to dot.
The art of decorating cloth in this way, using wax and dye, has been practised for centuries. In Indonesia that it is considered a national art form.
To make a batik, selected areas of the cloth are blocked out by brushing or drawing hot wax over them, and the cloth is then dyed. The parts covered in wax resist the dye and remain the original colour. This process of waxing and dyeing can be repeated to create more elaborate and colourful designs. After the final dyeing the wax is removed.
Contemporary batik, while owing much to the past, is markedly different from the more traditional and formal styles.
Batik is both an art and a craft, which is becoming more popular and well known in the west as a wonderfully creative medium.