A detail of Khalil Ibrahim's Pantai Timor - East Coast 1 (batik, 1978). Photos: The Star/Azhar Mahfof
For centuries, people from all walks of life – ranging from kings to commoners to religious figures – have worn batik. Though simple in its latticework prints, the material holds an integral part of history, with its origins dating back to the 13th century and samples found in Egypt, India, China and Japan.
As one of the most widely-known traditional crafts in the Nusantara archipelago, the textile has seen several transformations in techniques (wooden blocks to wax and copper blocks) and design.
