Nyoman sees batik as meditation<\/p>\n
Damaso Reyes
\nContributor
\nUbud, Bali<\/p>\n
There may be as many places to learn batik, the traditional
\nIndonesian hand-dyed textile, as there are places to eat nasi
\ngoreng, Indonesian fried rice. However, it is hard to imagine a
\nbatik class that is more fun than the one at the compound of I
\nNyoman Suradnya in Ubud, Bali.<\/p>\n
A painter-cum-batik artist, Nyoman, as he insists on being
\ncalled, has been teaching the art of batik for over 25 years in
\nplaces as diverse as the state of Montana in the U.S., Australia
\nand Singapore. As an artist who began by working with oils and
\nwatercolors, Nyoman learned batik when he was already well into
\nhis training as an artist.<\/p>\n
\"For me, batik began as an extracurricular activity,\" Nyoman
\nsaid, smiling. \"I fancied someone in school and she wanted to
\ntake a batik class,\" he added, arching his eyebrows and laughing.<\/p>\n
The difference in medium opened up a whole new world for the
\nyoung artist. \"There are many more colors I can get in batik than
\nI can in oil or watercolor,\" he said, explaining the difference
\nbetween the mediums. \"Batik is very good for relaxing when I need
\na break from oil or watercolor.\"<\/p>\n
For Nyoman, batik is what he calls \"meditation in action\".<\/p>\n
\"You need to focus your mind and body in here,\" he said while
\ninspecting the work of a student in one of his classes. \"Doing
\nbatik is the same as meditating; you have to be aware of your
\nbreathing and your actions. There is a kind of instant karma; you
\ncan burn yourself or make quite a mess if you aren't focused.\"<\/p>\n
The actual technical process of batik is so simple that Nyoman
\noffers one-day classes. The core technique of batik involves
\napplying hot wax to fabric and dying the fabric in different
\ncolors. Every time a layer of wax is added to a different section
\nof fabric, that section will resist all the other dyes that are
\napplied in succession; hence the name of the technique --
\n\"resistance dyeing\".<\/p>\n
The tool used in batik is called a canting, pronounced
\nchanting, which is tipped with a copper well that narrows into a
\nhollow nib of various shapes and sizes. The artist dips the
\ncanting into a pot of heated wax, usually beeswax mixed with tree
\nresin, and applies the wax to the fabric. Within a few minutes,
\neven the least artistic person can get the hang of the process,
\nalthough it does indeed require intense concentration.<\/p>\n
While applying the hot wax, everything else seems to melt away
\nas you trace the pencil lines of your sketched design on the
\nfabric. Once you have completed the outline of your design, you
\napply the appropriate color of dye with a paintbrush. Over the
\ndye, you add a binding agent, which will protect the dye from the
\nlayer of wax applied to retain the color. The process is repeated
\nfor each separate color and finally, the entire sheet of fabric
\nis dipped in the background color, which will be absorbed by any
\npart of cloth that is free of any wax.<\/p>\n
Within only a few short hours, with a break for lunch of
\ncourse, your very own batik painting emerges from the cleaning
\nsolution used to remove all traces of the wax layers applied
\nearlier. Throughout it all, Nyoman and his team of assistants
\nguide and help the new \"artists\" through the process, providing
\nsuggestions and technical help.<\/p>\n
He claims that anyone from six to 70 years old can learn
\nbatik, although he does vary his teaching methods to the
\nabilities of his students.<\/p>\n
\"As long as they are willing to be in the here and now, and
\nallow their hands to be the projections of their hearts, they can
\ndo it,\" he said. \"It (creating batik) is about using the correct
\nwater and fertilizer. I am only teaching them the ABC's; if they
\nthen want to write a book they already know the alphabet.\"<\/p>\n
In addition to teaching classes once a week, Nyoman operates a
\nhomestay with six rooms within his compound of four buildings,
\nwhere he and his family live, along with a dog and at least a
\ndozen birds who are more than happy to give you a wake-up call in
\nthe morning.<\/p>\n
\"I am glad to share our lives others. It's good for people to
\ncome and share the Balinese family life,\" he said. \"People don't
\nget this experience staying at a hotel.\"<\/p>\n
Nirvana Gallery and Pension is located on Jl. Gautama 10, Banjar
\nPadantegal Kaja, Ubud, Bali. Tel: (62-361) 975 415 or 977 624;
\nemail: rodanet@denpasar.wasantara.net.id
\nCourses range from one-day classes at US$35 per person, to five-
\nday courses at $25 per person per day. A night at the homestay
\ncosts about $30.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nyoman-sees-batik-as-meditation-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}