During this 1-hour introductory batik workshop, you will create your own batik. Making a traditional batik usually takes several weeks, sometimes even months, so in this workshop the focus is on drawing with wax and painting with a brush. You will use a canting (wax pen) to draw with hot beeswax on cotton, afterwards the dye is applied, a technique known in Java as colet.

Batik originates from Indonesia, particularly the island of Java. It is a traditional technique for decorating fabric with wax and dye, where wax is applied to prevent certain areas from absorbing colour during dyeing. This results in vibrant, intricate designs.

You will go home with your own batik piece and instructions on how to remove the wax.

Sabine Bolkis a Dutch visual artist and batik researcher. Since 2009, she has been deeply involved in the study of Javanese batik. Her research has taken her to various batik-related locations, including the islands of Java, Madura, and Bali, as well as Malaysia, Singapore, and several European countries. From 2019 to December 2021, Sabine was a research associate at the Research Centre for Material Culture in Leiden, focusing on batiks in Dutch collections and archives. Her current research not only highlights the maker but also the wearer of batik. In 2023, she curated an exhibition at the Erasmus Huis in Jakarta (ID) titled “Masa Depan Batik I The Future of Batik”. In October 2025, this exhibition will be shown in the Netherlands.

Practical Information:

• The workshop language is Dutch
• Price includes materials and VAT