A pair of peacock in handwritten batik lasem (Photo source: Batik Gading Kencana)

Dwi Anggraeni, is the daughter of Batik Gading Kencana workshop owner. She has known batik since she was a child and observe her mother making batik. She fell in love with the process of making batik and she has been helping her mother to draw the batik patterns and take photos of products to sell online during holiday. Currently pursuing a degree in Javanese Language and Culture studies and would hope to spread the word about the beauty of Batik Lasem.

In this episode of aNERDspective (our NERD talk show where we converse with amazing friends about their textile adventure and perspectives), we talked to Dwi about her story when she fell in love with batik, dancing batik dance, and how to promote batik to people of her generation.

Note: Full chat is in Bahasa Indonesia and this translation of the transcript has been edited for reading format.

Tony Sugiarta: Hello Dwi, thank you for sparing some time to talk with us on today’s episode of aNERDspective. How are you?

Dwi Anggraeni : I am fine.

I heard about you from our friend far away in The Netherlands, Sabine. I told her that I want to talk with young textile advocates and she recommended you. We contacted you and we finally have a chance to talk together today.

Before we continue the discussion, maybe we can start with an introduction about who Dwi is and your journey in knowing and learning batik.

My name is Dwi Anggraeni, people usually call me Dwi. I am from Rembang, Central Java, and I am studying at a university in Yogyakarta, doing a Javanese Cultural Studies program. I have known batik since I was a child, from my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. All of them were batik workers in one of the batik workshops in Lasem. In 2005, a batik studio and a dance studio were established in my village by the Indonesian Pluralism Institute (IPI). I joined the studio and I first got to know about batik from the studio.

In 2005?

Yes.

When you were little, you also saw your mother and grandmother nyanting and making batik? 

Yes, since I was little, I have seen my mother making batik at home. In the past, my mother used to make batik at the batik workshop in the daytime and make batik at home in the evening.

How old were you when you entered IPI in 2005? 

3rd grade elementary school (about 9 years old).

What made you interested in batik? 

What attracted me to batik was the process. When I saw my mother making batik and saw the process from the beginning starting from the design of the batik itself, nyanting, dyeing, melorot, all made me interested in learning more. When looking at the batik motifs too, each batik motif has its own philosophy.

Do you have a favorite motif?

I really like the dragon motif which is mixed and matched with isen-isen (filler motifs) from Java. Lasem batik is still influenced by Chinese culture as well as Javanese culture itself.

Why a dragon?

Because from what I read, the dragon symbolizes prosperity. If someone wears a dragon it looks even better.

Do you like making batik with dragon motifs?

I have not made my own batik, I only help my mother to make the pattern.

You mother founded her own workshop called Batik Gading Kencana, can you tell us a little about the history of this workshop? 

Batik Gading Kencana was founded in 2011, when my sister entered college. In the past, my mother was a batik worker and my father was an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver, so my mother was thinking about how to increase her income and to pay for my sister’s college. In 2010, when my mother made batik for one of the workshops, she did not ask for a salary but asked to be given a piece of (plain) mori cloth and she made it into (her own) batik. Then the process of dyeing and melorot is entrusted to the workshop and she sells the cloth. The money from selling the batik cloth used to buy her own batik materials and she made batik out of it again and again. Finally in 2011 my mother decided to establish Batik Gading Kencana. Initially there was only one employee, who was her own neighbour. As the workshop grew, the number of employees also increased.

How many people are there now?

There are about 15 people in the workshop itself.

Including the nyanting, dyeing, melorot too?

Yes.

All are your own neighbours?

Most of them are my neighbours because the aim is that she wants to develop the surrounding community since many mothers here are unemployed. So, the workshop is also to create jobs for mothers around.

The aim of founded Batik Gading Kencana is to develop the surrounding community and also to create jobs for mothers around.

In the village itself, were the ladies batik workers or were they just learning when your mother started Batik Gading Kencana?

Most of them have already made batik at workshops in Lasem. When my mother founded Batik Gading Kencana, they came to work with my mother because the place is closer to their home and they also can take care of their children.

What kind of work do you do to help your mother? 

Now I am studying in Yogyakarta. When I am at home, I help my mother to draw the batik patterns, take photos of products to sell online.

What kind of product do you make?

For now, only batik cloth.

Where else do you sell the cloth other than online? 

My mother rents a shop in Thamrin City, Jakarta. She sent batik cloth there and also to resellers.

What are the characteristics of Batik Gading Kencana? 

Actually, Lasemeses batik are almost similar in terms of motifs and colours, but surely each workshop has different characteristics. For example, the red colour is also different for each workshop.

Batik Gading Kencana itself is strong in classical batik motifs, namely the batik tiga negeri, and we use small canting so the batik patterns will be smoother. The colour is also different, the red is like thick chicken blood, the blue and the sogan (ed.: brown) are also different. Usually the classic Lasem batik and batik tiga negeri are sold at a fairly expensive price, but we offer a price that is still reasonable with smoother canting and bolder colours. That is the characteristic of Batik Gading Kencana. When resellers are looking for classic Lasem batik, they will definitely come to us.

I will try to find some classic batik from Batik Gading Kencana. It is mostly sold as clothing material, right?

Yes, it is sold as material.

How is the market response to Batik Gading Kencana? 

The market response is getting better day by day. More and more people like it, especially for classic batik. Batik Gading Kencana already has regular customers, so after the goods are finished and then we send photos, the customers immediately want to buy it.

Maybe you have to order first?

Yes, you have to order first.

How long does it take (to make) a classic motif like tiga negeri? 

To make batik tiga negeri usually takes three months to complete everything.

Because the process is all manual? 

Yes.

What are the challenges that Batik Gading Kencana faces? 

The challenges are, firstly, more and more stamped batik and printed batik, with low prices and motifs that are subtle. Secondly, there are more and more new Lasem batik workshops in Rembang. So, you have to think about how to make Batik Gading Kencana continuously innovate so it does not lose out to new workshops.

What innovations have been made? 

Now we start to make new motifs and to design clothes. We also innovate colours according to the market demand.

Any examples of the new motifs and colours that you have? 

For motifs, we innovate to make motifs such as (traditional) masks and lotus flower motifs. Actually, the inspiration is still around Lasem. In terms of colour, we created soft colours, such as brown, turquoise blue, Fanta (ed.: a carbonated drink known for its bright colours) pink and brownish green (like moss green).

Do you use synthetic dyes or natural dyes? 

Synthetic dyes, but there are some who use natural dyes, because the materials are limited to make (with) natural dyes.

And also, because the natural dyeing process is very long and has to be dyed repeatedly, it can affect the quality of the wax. 

Natural dyes tend to fade faster, or bledus in Javanese.

Who has the ideas for the new motifs and colours? 

For now it is my mother, because I am still focusing on my college. I am in Yogya and I rarely go home.

Do your siblings also make batik? 

I have one older sister in Yogya, she also has a clothing brand. She also promotes my mother’s batik through her brand. My sister makes kebaya and mixes it with Lasem batik underneath.

So, it is still connected with batik. Apart from batik, I can see that you are also interested in Javanese culture, such as dancing and studying Javanese. First, let’s talk about dancing because I saw you danced for Sabine’s project. Can you tell us a little about your experience? 

I first learned to dance in the batik studio. Every Sunday, I had dance practice. The first dance that I learned was batik dance. I learned the basic movements to how to stretch my body well. The more I learn, the better I am.

Is batik dance based on Javanese dance? 

Yes, batik dance is a Javanese dance. I started dancing from 3rd grade in elementary school, then in middle school I did not dance because it was hard to find time to practice and I did not take dance extracurricular either. Then when I was in high school, I took dance extracurricular and learned gambyong dance from Central Java. In high school, 2nd or 3rd grade, I was contacted by Sabine for a dance collaboration on her project to perform batik dance. Finally, Sabine filmed her project in Lasem and I danced in my own yard.

How do you feel then? 

When I was contacted by Sabine, I was shocked because I have not danced for a long time. I wondered if I can still dance, especially the batik dance, which I have not done in a long time. Then I practice and recall it again. Because I have not danced for a long time, I feel nervous. I believe that if I dance with feelings, the result will not be disappointing. I felt good and lucky to be connected with Sabine as not everyone can be like me and be involved in one of her projects. I am very happy, especially that I could be seen by so many people.

Now the video has spread all over the internet and more people are watching it. 

Yes. I remembered Sabine’s words then, “You may be a nobody here and maybe other people do not know you, but in the Netherlands, you might become an artist and get famous.” That makes me proud.

Absolutely that there are many more people, not only in the Netherlands. What is the story behind the batik dance?

Batik dance is a dance about the batik process, starting from nyanting, dyeing, drying.

It is documented and accompanied by Gading Kencana Batik, isn’t it?

Yes.

What is the story that (leads you to) learn the Javanese language?

I saw that my neighbours and peers of the same age could use kromo Javanese (the “polite” form in Javanese), whereas I found it difficult to learn Javanese. When talking with my parents, I use ngoko Javanese (the conversational Javanese for daily use). I am a Javanese but it is hard for me to learn that.

When I was in high school, I saw that my Javanese scores, especially for Javanese alphabet, were good. Since high school, I have been interested in Javanese culture.

Old people have myths, for example, you are not allowed to sit at the door. When asked the reason why it was not good or it is not allowed but without a reason. I was interested in learning the Javanese language. That is one of the reasons why I chose to learn Javanese, wanting to know the truth and the background of those myths. I learnt that through the program, it is not just about learning the language, but also the culture, the Javanese way of dressing, and that made me want to learn Javanese.

So not only learning the language and literature, but also Javanese lessons and cultures in daily life.

What type of Javanese (language) do you use in Rembang, ngoko or kromo?

Yes, most of them use ngoko. There are also many people who use kromo, but nowadays only a few young people use kromo

Is it usually taught in elementary school?

Yes, until high school is also still taught.

So it is taught but not used daily, right?

Yes, it is.

One of the things that you mentioned earlier was about fashion culture. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

So in my program, there is one course, namely Javanese fashion. There, we were taught how to wear a kebaya correctly, wear jarik (ed.: full length cloth) correctly, how to fold the jarik correctly, how many pleats for women, the direction of the pleats, etc. All of that is taught in Javanese fashion module. We are also taught how to wear a stagen (a stagen is a stretchy belt that is useful for tightening the jarik), how to fold jarik cloth correctly, the size of the pleats must be two or three fingers. For women, the width of the pleat must be two fingers, for men it must be three fingers. When a man wears a parang motif, the direction must be from right to left, for women the direction is from left to right. When you see a Javanese bride wearing a parang motif, the shape of the lines is in “V” shape as the man is usually on the right and the woman is on the left.

I assume that this is a culture from the royal palace?

Yes, that is the rule in the royal palace. There are two standards for Javanese clothing, one from the Surakarta palace and the other from the Yogyakarta palace.

In Rembang, is there a certain culture about wearing cloth?

In Rembang, there is none in particular. The Javanese fashion in Rembang often follows the standard of the Surakarta Palace. For the wedding ceremony, the clothes also follow the standards of the Surakarta Palace.

So it more closely follows the culture of Surakarta?

Yes, correct.

As you mentioned earlier, there has been a mixture of Chinese and Javanese cultures, so it is not transfixed on the palace rules, right?

Yes, correct.

How many people are taking the Java language study program?

For my batch, there are about 83 students who were accepted.

What is your opinion about introducing Javanese culture, especially batik, among young people?

There are fewer young people who are interested in learning Javanese culture, especially batik. What I see in my village is that most of the young people work in factories or go to the city after graduating from high school. They are not at all interested in becoming batik craftsmen or studying batik in their own area. In their mind, batik is only for old people. Fewer young generations learn batik.

What I am starting to do now is to invite people to learn batik and to wear batik again. I apply it to myself. I introduce batik or promote batik again by wearing batik when I go out. When I wear batik, many of my friends ask me what kind of batik I am wearing.

(How about you?) What are your plans for the future?

My future plan and what I am starting to do now is to invite people to learn batik and to wear batik again. I apply it to myself. Now I try to wear batik cloth everywhere. When wearing batik cloth, we can mix and match with any clothes and can be shaped according to what we want.

So for now, what I do is that I introduce batik or promote batik again by wearing batik when I go out. When I wear batik, many of my friends ask me what kind of batik I am wearing, how it is made, how much is the price, how to wear it, etc. I also want to create a content about how to wear batik cloth that can be mixed and matched with any clothes for the younger generation.

Start with yourself, then people will get interested and start asking questions and wanting to know more.

How do non-Lasem people react to the Lasemese batik that you wear, especially those in the Javanese course where they may be more familiar with inland/royal batik?

The reaction was pretty good. They realised that the characteristic of Lasem batik is that it is fuller with the isen-isen which are more varied. The isen-isen are describing the natural surroundings. The responses from my friends are good. In fact, they like it because it is different from the inland batik from Yogya which has the colour of brown-black or brown-white. Lasemese batik itself has various colours so they are interested in Batik Lasem.

It was a contrast between Lasem batik and inland batik which made them curious.

What are some of the challenges when introducing culture or textiles among young people? How can we make culture or Indonesian textile more happening?

I think we have to start from ourselves, by using it ourselves so that more people know.

Some points that I often hear are ‘wearing batik is for old people’ or ‘wearing batik is complicated’, how do you usually respond?

Many of my friends think like that too, ‘wearing batik is for old people’ because what they see may be the batik in usual colour, in motifs and designs of clothes that are still the same with the old batik, such as the dark colours that are worn by the older people. In fact, there are many colourful batik that are up to date, in colours, motif and the clothes design. When they say that, it could be that they only know the old design. When a friend says that, I try to correct them – there are many batik for the younger crowd.

What do you usually suggest when responding to comments that wearing batik is complicated?

I usually teach them how to wear them.

Indeed it needs practice because the more often you wear it, the more you know the knots, and know your own body too. Once you wear it, you will get used to it.

What kind of assistance would be needed to fulfill your aspirations to promote batik among young people?

To have more people wearing batik. I think by (having more people) wearing batik or Indonesian textile, it has helped to realize my mission.

So, you are releasing content to introduce Indonesian textiles and how to wear it, where can we see it?

For now, I just want to make a tutorial. Daily, I usually upload it to my (personal) Instagram story.

Minimally you introduce it to your friends?

Yes.

In addition to completing the thesis and making batik tutorials, what are you busy with? Are there any other projects?

For now, there are no projects, but maybe after I graduate, I want to focus on developing Batik Gading Kencana to help my mother. Maybe, later I can design some clothes that are suitable for today’s young people.

How many months until graduation?

Approximately 6 more months.

Final question before we close our conversation: what are your hopes for the future, for Indonesian batik and textile in general?

I hope that more and more people will love and want to wear Indonesian batik and textiles. For now, what I see is that many young people are starting to get interested in Indonesian textiles. I even see that on Instagram, there are many accounts that promote Indonesian textiles. In the future, hopefully Indonesian batik and textile will grow and more people will know about it.

Indeed, to be able to introduce Indonesian culture itself, to love Indonesian culture and products. I like the energy of young Indonesian textile advocates.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of aNERDspective. Check out the previous episode on IGTV and our gallery and store if you would like a piece of Indonesia for your home or wardrobe. You may also check out  Batik Gading Kencana’s Instagram for the latest collection.

Photo credit: Batik Gading Kencana, unless stated otherwise.