In 2023, my sisters and I learnt that our late mother had hidden a vast collection of Southeast Asian textiles in a warehouse in Bangkok; 100 boxes filled with a treasure trove including Thai mudmee silks, 1980s Jim Thompson upholstery fabrics, Chinese brocades, Japanese kimonos, Indonesian ikats and incredible batiks.
Being the printed textile designer in the family, I was tasked with dealing with this discovery. Excited both by possibility of potential projects, but laden by the sheer volume of cloth, expense of storage and dangers of the tropical climate I went in search of anyone who could help me decide what to do.
Two years later, I could never have imagined the journey this work would take me on; the extraordinary people I would meet, the distant places I would travel to, the skills I would learn, and the work we would create together. This exhibition is, in many ways, a documentation of a process still unfolding: both the outcome and the beginning of new collaborations with batik studios and natural dyers, shaped through the generosity and guidance of curators, historians, artisans, and fellow designers.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who has helped to bring the exhibition Batik : Recolouring Tradition to life. For many years, I hoped that one day I might be able to show my own batik work alongside my mother’s collection, and this exhibition has made that possible.
This exhibition is rooted in a hope to present batik as a living, evolving craft; one that honours its deep Indonesian heritage while embracing experimentation, collaboration, and contemporary design. Through natural dyes, textile experimentation, and cross-cultural exchange between Indonesia and the UK, the work explores how batik can continue to grow beyond traditional boundaries.
At its heart is a commitment to supporting artisan communities, sharing the beauty and complexity of the batik process with new audiences, nding new canvases and opportunities to work with this incredible medium, and building toward a future space for collaborative batik practice in the UK.
My sincere thanks to the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia; Pak Desra, Ibu Sari, Ibu Dona, Dewi, Erza, Ratih, Jepri, and the whole Indonesian community for their encouragement and support, and to London Craft Week; Guy Salter, Aoife Leach, Harriet Cave and Jo Lowndes for the opportunity to bring batik to a new audience.
Work made in collaboration with: Amber’s Alchemy, Batik Winotosastro, Colour of Saying, Fiona Kerlogue, Padapa Natural Dye, Shoji Silkscreen. Thank you to all the artisans and experts who have so generously shared their knowledge, time, patience and guidance.
This exhibition would not have been possibile without the help and mentorship of; Albertine Tucknott, Alison Hastie, Amalia Wirjono, Amber Fry, Amanda Rosenhagen, Antonia McDonald, Ario Santoso, Asian Tigers, Bin House, Chalien Indrawati, Christine Gerriette, Dash, Eksan Angkharawan, Elisha De Mendonca, Emily Taylor, Fiona McKay, Frida Kim, Joshua Irwandi, Joseph Vass, Jonathan Richards, Jubel, Khaowoat, Laura Perryman, Lesley Pullen, Lishan Tham, Louis Copplestone, Louise Lambe, Lucy & Timpi, Marley Way, Mary Spyrou, Max Maxwell, Megan Trimble, Mother Root, Newmans Stationers, Panumas Khaomesri, Petty Elliot, Pino Sinaga, Prawravee Suwantawit, Re : Agency, Rebecca Hoyes, Rempapa Spice Co, Richard Olson, Sam Way, Somlim, Sue Way, The King Family, Toba London, Wagner Kreusch, William Baker.
#batikrecolouringtradition
In loving memory of our mother, Raden Ayu Farida Indrarini Prawotoadikusumo King,
1947 - 2017.