Express yourself through batik<\/p>\n
Fifi Yulianti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Susana, 45, a medical lecturer at a private university,
\nexplained how she enjoyed the time she learned how to make batik,
\naccompanied by gamelan instrumental music.<\/p>\n
"It was really relaxing and comfortable. I felt as though I
\nwas at the Yogyakarta palace," she said.<\/p>\n
The place where Susana made her batik, though, was not in
\nYogyakarta nor Surakarta, which are known for their batik. It was
\nin the middle of this crowded metropolitan city, Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Making batik is a special program run by the Textile Museum,
\nJl. KS Tubun, Central Jakarta, in celebration of the city's 476th
\nanniversary and the museum's 28th anniversary.<\/p>\n
The museum, established as a place for the cultural
\npreservation of Indonesia's textiles, is giving visitors a chance
\nto articulate their best wishes for Jakarta through batik.<\/p>\n
Any visitor can participate simply by showing the entrance
\nticket to the museum. They will get a small piece of material for
\nfree to be painted with wax designs, while the tools needed to
\nmake batik are provided by the museum.<\/p>\n
The first week of the program, which runs from June 6 through
\nJune 29, attracted 220 visitors, as shown by the guest book. Last
\nyear's data showed that an average of 17 people visited the
\nmuseum daily.<\/p>\n
"It's the museum's way of popularizing batik as one of
\nIndonesia's traditional textiles," Tukiran Effendi, the museum's
\nstaff officer for education, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
"Every batik made by visitors is hung in the gallery," he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Everyone is free to express themselves through their creation.<\/p>\n
"There are many ways to express yourself; making batik is just
\none of them," said Yayu, 26, one of the tutors, explaining the
\nexcitement of making batik.<\/p>\n
Tina, 14, said that the real enjoyment of making batik was
\nwhen it was finished. "I really felt satisfied with the batik
\nthat I'd made, even if it was bad," she said modestly.<\/p>\n
The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., from Tuesday through
\nSunday, except Saturday, when it closes at 12:30 p.m.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/express-yourself-through-batik-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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