Batik – a Lens to Learning about Indonesian Culture

Year 5 students in Room T10 have been designing and making batik artworks as they learn about Indonesian culture.  Ibu Janice was really pleased with their results and how students were using different painting techniques to create the desired effect.

Students Georgie, Meg and Ruby wrote about the process and how they felt seeing the artwork take shape before their eyes. (Great work as Journalists, girls.)

Batik is an Indonesian art dating back to the early Indonesians.  It is usually made using fabric and waxes.  You need to draw a pattern on a small or large piece of fabric to make a lovely bedsheet, pillowcase or lovely decoration in your room.

Ruby explains how to make a batik.

What you will need:

• wax
• buckets of water for different colour dyes
• dyes
• fabric
• iron
• hot plate to heat wax

What you will need to do:

1. First you draw a pattern on a piece of fabric with wax.
2. Then put it into a bucket of your preferred colour of dye
3. Then let it dry.
4. You need to complete the process by repeating 1 to 3 until you have built up your design using different colour dyes and you are happy with it.
5. Iron the wax off.

Georgie said:

Personally,  I loved doing this because it was a fun way to experience what Indonesians do for a living.

Meg said:

From my point of view, I think batik is a great way to express how you feel.

Amber said:

I made a couple of mistakes, but then I thought I could make something special out of them…and I did.

Kahea said:

Just follow your creative ideas – don’t doubt yourself and it will turn out right.

I think we’d all agree that they were very creative and their batiks have turned out ‘quite right’ indeed!  This is another great way in which Ibu Janice provides opportunities for our students to actually experience aspects of Indonesian culture!

Written, photos and posted by D. Veary