wax application with tjanting

Batik is a wax resist dye process that dates back at least two thousand years. While the place of its actual origin is unknown, evidence of its practice has been found in most Eastern and Middle Eastern countries, including India, China, Japan, Persia, Egypt, and most abundantly in Indonesia, where it is still practiced extensively today. The batiks produced in these areas are, as one would expect, reflective of each country’s culture, religion, and surroundings.

To understand the mechanics of what I am doing as an artist, one needs to have an understanding of the batik process as it is traditionally done. The basic idea behind the process is rather simple. If one applies wax to an area of fabric, and then dyes it, the dye will not penetrate the waxed area. In traditional batik, wax (a combination of beeswax and paraffin) is applied (with a tjanting tool) to specific areas of the fabric, and the fabric is then placed in a light colored dye bath. After dyeing, the fabric is rinsed and dried (the wax is left in place), and then a second waxing takes place over specific parts of the previously dyed cloth. The piece is then placed in a second, darker dye bath. It is at this point then, that the artist either applies a third waxing, or removes all existing wax and dye, and starts the process all over again, waxing over the colors and images he/she wishes to retain from the first and second dye baths. These steps are repeated as necessary, until the artist sees the piece as complete. Batiks can range from two colors to twenty (or more) depending on the needs of the piece, and the skills of the artist.