Kangan Institute Australia in collaboration with the Educational Clothing Technique Study Program Faculty of Engineering, Yogyakarta State University (FE YSU) are in the development of batik design and the exploration Indonesian batik business’ potential of in the international world. Kangan Institute sends eleven Textile and Fashion students to learn batik ranging from the type, style, history and up to the batik process. Senior educators from Kangan Institute, Megan Kirkham who accompanied the students, said that for about two weeks (17-29 / 08/2016), Kangan hoped that their students can improve their skills and gain knowledge about design engineering of batik due to the its increasingly popular use in the world level fashion.
"We want to learn about the abundance of local ingredients in Indonesia and to collaborate with students of Clothing Program at FE YSU to produce a fashion design collection made from batik for the international market," said Megan. Using batik as a base material with a touch of Australian fashion style, I think it will be a very interesting combination, "explained Megan.
Inevitably, since batik’s recognition as a cultural heritage object by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO or the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage UNESCO in 2009, batik has gained more and more popularity and has attracted international markets, such as Australia, the Netherlands, France and other countries.
Batik is initially more popular in Java, especially those of Yogyakarta, Solo and Pekalongan, which have now grown and spread to all provinces in Indonesia. Each region began to dig back patterns in accordance with their own specific and unique cultures.
The Vice Dean 1 of FE YSU, Moh. Khoirudin, Ph.D. during the opening ceremony (19/08) revealed that batik is Indonesia's cultural heritage, so that all of you will learn not only limited to the manufacturing process, but also the philosophy contained in it ", he said.
"Of course this collaboration is also one way to preserve batik printing technique amidst the rise of the textile industry which has reduced the guidelines in the art of batik," Khoirudin explained.
Meanwhile, The Head of the Program of Technical Education Clothing, Dr. Widihastuti, said that "they (students of Kangan Institute) will be introduced to the types of batik in the manner of manufacture such as handmade, stamps, printing and combinations of the batik manufacturing process," she said.
"We also invite them to a batik studio in Yogyakarta, one of which is Astoetik Batik Studio, there, they will be introduced to the batik process using an electric stove of Astoetik made by an alumni of Educational Informatics FE YSU. In addition to visiting the workshop, we will also take them to the Museum of Batik, so they can really live up to the history of batik and batik processes that lead to the various motifs. We will also invite the students from Kangan to join the Carnival team of FE YSU in the Pelangi Budaya Bumi Merapi carnival on Sept. 25, "said Widihastuti. (haryo)
