SMUKI Online - Batik Workshop: Batik-in-Progress

Highlight from SMU Arts Festival exhibition ‘Welcome to the Real World’
In this year SMU Arts Festival (9 Jan-24 Jan 2009), SMUKI organized yet another batik workshop as part of an exhibition called “Welcome to the Real World” by curator Ong Puay Khim. Artworks presented in this Festival will examine the influence and impact time has on the arts, artistic intent, originality, familiar favourites, or even common social and cultural norms.

Batik-in-progress is a project by SMUKI Commerce and Social Affairs Department, headed by Andy Giarto (Year 3 Business) with the help of his two reliable and committed sub-committees Sandra (Year 2 Business) and Made Dimas (Year 2 SIS). The workshop, held at the atrium outside SMU BE Studio, featured local contemporary artist, Kamal. Kamal, with his background in batik and decorative/contemporary art, brought modern expressions and interpretations to a wide-ranging audience in this year’s Arts Festival.

At the first part of the workshop, the curious participants were introduced to the long-forgotten history about batik and its techniques. Kamal also demonstrated how to create batik only with simple combination of colours, which the participants before long had the chance to try hands on the use of traditional ‘tjanting’ or batik pens. Equipped with ‘tjantings’ from both Malaysia and Jogjakarta, they traced the outlines of their sketches with wax. The final process of the workshop was to colour the waxed picture using water colour. The event lasted for approximately 3 hours. After which the small piece of batik works will be stitched together forming a big canvas.

The three-hour workshop resulted in small pieces of batik works which were later stitched together to form a big canvas art piece. The final piece has been mounted inside the Gallery at level 1 of the School of Economic and Social Science. Do drop down to get a closer look at the 56 pieces of batik works.

From this exhibition, SMUKI hopes Batik as a national artistic heritage is firmly entrenched in the younger generation and becomes well-received in this modern society.

With inspiring works from the participants, blended with specifically chosen theme RE: PRESENT to fit among the most exciting art festival in SMU, the evening truly came out as intended – an evening of ideas, colours and inspirations for all of us! Thank you everyone who has contributed to the success of this workshop in one way or another.

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