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The Art of Batik Workshop with Sabine Bolk
October 26 @ 1:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Event background
Batik art is a mesmerizing, rich and diverse cultural heritage of the Indonesian archipelago. Batik is well-known, especially the batik from Indonesia is worn, collected, and exhibited worldwide. In Indonesia the making of, the use of patterns and their meaning, and the wearing of batik are UNESCO ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ since 2009. Batik is first a technique, but also very much a philosophy of patterns. Within the different populations, batik is used to express themselves. Each region on Java and other Indonesian islands has its own specific motifs and use of color, with the batik from Java being well known also outside the island wherever the population migrated (voluntarily and not) in Sumatra, but also in Malaysia and Singapore, and as far as South Africa and Suriname
The workshop will be given by Sabine Bolk is a Dutch artist and researcher who has a great passion for batik (see below). For this workshop organized by SEA Junction, Sabine will be sharing her expertise in a two-session workshop on Saturday 26 October 2024 from 1pm to 5 pm at SEA Junction, 4th Fl., BACC.
The 4.5-hour workshop will be divided into two sessions with details as follows:
Session I: Paper Sarong & The Art of Batik – 3 hr.
In the Paper Sarong workshop, participants will explore the rich culture of pattern-making inspired by Javanese Batik. Participants will have a unique opportunity to create and design batik sarong on paper, explore process of batik making and explore the following questions: how do we make a pattern, what can a motif tell us about ourselves and our surroundings?
Session II: Research Batik Workshop – 1.5 hr
During the Research Batik Workshop, participants will learn more about how to research batik kept in Dutch museum collections, to use the database of the Wereldmuseum (World Museum) and discover new or different insights on batik history. During the workshop, Sabine will guide participants to work on an assignment using the databases and books at SEA Junction and share practical tips and tricks. This workshop focus on researching Batik, but it is useful for anyone searching for information on objects from Southeast Asia kept within Dutch collections. is highly recommended for art enthusiasts, specialists and curators who want to learn more about fabric art and how to navigate a world premier online database of fabric and arts from around the world.
Please bring your own paper notebook and pen/writing instruments, and if possible, please also bring a laptop or iPad/tablet.
Cost – 200 THB for two sessions (independently of whether participants choose to attend only one). Registration and payment is required upfront in order to prepare for the materials of the workshop.
To register and reserve a spot, please contact us at info@seajunction.org or send us a message on our social media (Instagram, X/Twitter or Facebook)
For more information/reservation, please contact us at info@seajunction.org or message us in any social media channel.
Speaker’s Bio
Sabine Bolk (1984) is a Dutch artist and batik researcher. On her blog “The Journey to Batik” (https://www.journeytobatik.org/) she writes about her journeys and research. In 2009 and 2016 Sabine went to Java, Indonesia, to document the process of batik making.
On October 2019, she went to Indonesia to launch her research project “Retelling the History of the (Indo-)European Influence on Batik”. From 2019 until December 2021 Sabine was a Research Associate at the Research Center for Material Culture in Leiden (NL) to research the batik collections in Dutch museums & archives. In her current research, she focuses next on the maker, and also on the wearer.
In 2023 she made the exhibition Masa Depan Batik | Future of Batik at Erasmus Huis in Jakarta, Indonesia. Next to her own work of the past 14 years, 6 batik makers showed their batik work and their point of view on the future of batik.
Sabine writes for different platforms, organizes events, and gives talks, presentations, and workshops to promote, preserve and protect batik.
Organizer
SEA Junction, established under the Thai non-profit organization Foundation for Southeast Asia Studies (ForSEA), aims to foster understanding and appreciation of Southeast Asia in all its socio-cultural dimensions, from arts and lifestyles to economy and development. Conveniently located at Room 407-8 of the Bangkok Arts and Culture Center or BACC (across MBK, BTS National Stadium), SEA Junction facilitates public access to knowledge resources and exchanges among students, practitioners and Southeast Asia lovers. More information at http://seajunction.org/.
