#batikday

Being part of the nation, I'm one of the proud influencers to support the social media movement of Batik Day 2012 which marks the 4th anniversary of Indonesia National Batik Day. Photo above is from my Instagram (@silviasiantar) earlier today featuring a modern batik scarf by Riana Kusuma.

Batik, a cloth that traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique, plays an important role in the life of Indonesians being mostly the choice to be used in weddings and other momentous events. Its artistic side and design is also important since the creator needs the passion, patience, and skill to draw on the white cloth with the canting, to wax the lines to separate the sections of the drawing.

In 2009, UNESCO designated Indonesian batik as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO defines oral and intangible heritage as “the totality of tradition-based creations of a cultural community expressed by a group or individuals and recognized as reflecting the expectations of a community in so far as they reflect its cultural and social identity.”

Visit www.batikday.com for a thorough infographics and image gallery of all things batik.