Batik

Batik is a resist printing technique that originated in India, and through the ages migrated over trade routes to South East Asia where it was favoured as a design of choice. Indonesia and Malaysia both, have elevated it to a status of being a national fabric, widely used to project their identity. It has also undergone sophisticated enhancements in its design elements and colour spread.

The word batik actually means 'wax writing'. It is a way of decorating cloth by covering a part of it with a coat of wax and then dyeing the cloth. The waxed areas keep their original color and when the wax is removed the contrast between the dyed and undyed areas makes the pattern. The history of Indian batik can be traced as far back as 2000 years. Indians were conversant with the resist method of printing designs on cotton fabrics long before any other nation had even tried it. Rice starch, and wax were initially used for printing on fabrics.

It is believed that after its initial popularity in the past, the tedious process of dyeing and waxing caused the decline of batik in India till recent times. The revival of batik in India began in the 20th century when it was introduced as a subject at the famous university of Shantiniketan in Calcutta. In the south near Madras, the well-known artist's village of Chola-Mandal is where batik gets an artistic touch. Batik that is produced in Madras is known for its original and vibrant designs.

The creation of batik is a three stage process of waxing, dyeing and dewaxing (removing the wax). There are also several sub-processes like preparing the cloth, tracing the designs, stretching the cloth on the frame, waxing the area of the cloth that does not need dyeing, preparing the dye, dipping the cloth in dye, boiling the cloth to remove wax and washing the cloth in soap.

The characteristic effects of the batik are the fine cracks that appears in the wax, which allow small amounts of the dye to seep in. It is a feature not possible in any other form of printing. It is very important to achieve the right type of cracks or hairline detail for which the cloth must be crumpled correctly. Knowing how to use the wax is of prime importance. The ideal mixture for batik wax is 30 per cent beeswax and 70 per cent paraffin wax. The cloth used should be strong enough to bear the heat and wax. Cambric, poplin and voiles are used besides pure silk.

Batik is created in several ways. In splash method the wax is splashed or poured onto the cloth. The screen-printing method involves a stencil. The hand painting one is by a Kalamkari pen. The scratch and starch resist are the other methods.

Until recently batik was made for dresses and tailored garments only but modern batik is livelier and brighter in the form of murals, wall hangings, paintings, household linen, and scarves. From a handicraft, batik has acquired the status of an art.