Cover Batik is a cloth that traditionally uses a manual wax “resist dyeing procedure” technique (Photo: Getty Images)
Batik is a cloth that traditionally uses a manual wax “resist dyeing procedure” technique (Photo: Getty Images)
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While at first glance an art form indigenous to our nation since the 1920s, behind this colourful textile is a heritage painted by centuries of cultural exchange and generations past
The batik we recognise today are brilliantly coloured, intricately patterned fabrics of varying motifs that can range from delicate, winding florals to complex geometrical shapes. Though you’ll find more mass-produced designs due to the inevitable mechanisation of batik, its hand-crafted element is a tradition still practised today albeit having adapted to modern times.
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Dubbed as a ‘painting in reverse’ in an old New York Times article published in 1975, it’s a rather accurate description of the ‘resist dyeing’ technique used in creating batik. An age-old process practised as early as the 4th century CE in Ancient Egypt, it’s mentioned in M A Hann’s book Patterns in Culture—Techniques of Decoration and Coloration that a burial site in Achmin, Upper Egypt revealed a child’s tunic with a simple block pattern made of wax print and was decorated by a “resist dyeing procedure”.
Above A Malay woman in Nusantara fashion
A Malay woman in Nusantara fashion
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In the context of Malaysian batik, one would have to retrace its Javanese influence, which goes as far back as 15th to early 16th century Malaya when the Malaccan Kingdom was still at its height. Interestingly enough, while the city eventually fell to Portuguese colonisation in 1511 AD, trade reports documented by Duarte Barbosa (a writer and officer of Portuguese India in the 1500s) describe the trading relationship between the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia unaffected despite “being occupied by two different European colonies”, leading scholars to deduce that batik was introduced to Malaysia via its past maritime trade with Java.
See also: How to style modern batik, according to Kapten Batik
Fast forward 400 years later, the practice was found to be centred mostly along the East coast of Malaysia, where according to a University of Malaya report on ‘Malaysian Batik Developments from 1950s to 1980s’, resided a group of early 20th century Javanese settlers and traders, who began small home productions in regions like Kuala Terengganu and Kelantan. But before the locals began adapting Javanese batik techniques, two particular resist-dye methods surfaced in the late 1700s first: the batik pelangi (rainbow batik) and the batik tritik.
Above A Batavian (modern-day Jakarta) woman wearing a cotton kebaya and batik sarong
A Batavian (modern-day Jakarta) woman wearing a cotton kebaya and batik sarong
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The former was created by a Terengganu Malay woman named Minah Pelangi, which simply ties sections of white cotton cloth with strings or rubber bands to avoid the dye from seeping into those areas, whereas the latter was pioneered by a Kelantanese man named Haji Che Su Ishak, which had patterns stitched and sewn on plain fabric before the dyeing process began, and when the stitches were removed, contrasting lines of undyed fabric were visible.
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The Javanese batik only arrived on Malaysian shores when a Javanese trader named Raden Mukhtar came to work with the aforementioned Kelantanese man. He introduced the use of copper blocks and wax, which are methods recognised today as batik pukul conteng (drawn batik blocks) or batik lilin (wax batik).
In Terengganu, Haji Ali, another batik producer, learned about batik block printing in particular and brought home samples of Javanese copper blocks, which he then developed further for his family business in the 1950s. Using melted wax and resin to dip the block in, the pattern is transferred onto cotton cloth—a step done repeatedly depending on how many layers of dye the design requires.
Above Batik producers painting hand-drawn designs on stretched cotton
Batik producers painting hand-drawn designs on stretched cotton
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The use of canting, an etching tool that contains a small pool of hot wax, is widely used by the Javanese to make complex patterns, and while it’s also a method implemented by Malaysian batik producers, there are a few marked differences between the two regions when it comes to batik design.
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The oldest and most distinctive of Indonesian batik is the batik pendalaman, better known as ‘Inland batik’, which favours earthy palettes of browns, blacks and indigos and is usually drawn with symbolic patterns that represent their heritage. Whereas Malaysian batik is often hand-painted in softer, brighter hues, and its patterns are either drawn with a canting on fabric stretched across large frames or are laid flat for block-printing.
Above A copper canting is used for the finer details
A copper canting is used for the finer details
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Traditionally, batik fabric was once considered everyday clothing; either worn as a sarong that wrapped around the waists of men and women, or tied above the bust for the latter.
In the 14th century, Malay women began to match their sarongs with upper garments such as baju kurung and baju kebaya, both of which are considered traditional Malay dresses and are differently designed upper garments. Where the loose, but structural baju kurung is usually made with opaque fabrics that are either plain or decorated with embroidery, the baju kebaya is a fitted blouse-dress of sheer material and sewn with brocade and adorned with embroidery as well as beading.
See also: Fern Chua champions batik in the British Council's Crafting Futures campaign
The aforementioned way of dressing is still done to this day, and the demand for Malaysian batik is growing in the midst of a modern-day revival spearheaded by Malaysian designers such as Fern Chua, founder of FERN Batik and Farhan Omar, co-founder of Kapten Batik. Their efforts to reintroduce our cultural heritage with a contemporary twist brings the textile art into mainstream view, where it promises to remain for the foreseeable future.
Chua, who unabashedly experiments with the medium, aims to elevate it with her minimalist, versatile designs that can be worn for any occasion—all the while preserving one of our nation’s most vital representations despite its modernisation.
Above Folded bright pieces of quilting batik fabrics in a basket
Folded bright pieces of quilting batik fabrics in a basket
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Kapten Batik’s growth speaks volumes, with the brand opening eight boutiques since its launch in 2017, with the newest outlet at Terminal KLIA 1. Farhan is pleased with the response to his brand’s products, which bring batik into styles suited for everyday wear.
“Malaysians and tourists respond with tremendous enthusiasm. You can see people wearing batik everywhere, be it to a café or bar, while enjoying the sun overseas, or at semi-formal events. Kudos to my team of batik and textile designers who worked tirelessly to improve the designs as well as the colours of the batik we could produce,” Farhan says.
Farhan is optimistic about the business growth and the continued demand for batik as Kapten Batik has been invited to have a presence in various A-grade malls since the start of 2024. “We are planning and strategising our approach in terms of new products that suit all. We have turned our fabric wastage into more accessories. 2025 will see us in The Gardens, Merdeka 118, and KLCC New Wing. We are excited to bring our boutique experience to everyone.”
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Usually found at home and one with her couch, Koy Yi would either crack open a good book or game in her spare time to wind down after a long day. She also loves to scour art conventions and book fairs alike when she's able, collecting art books of all regions to gain inspiration for her own illustrations. With a keen interest in people and the stories they tell, she enjoys a good talk and a good laugh (preferably over food). Follow her on her Instagram @peiyi57.
