Batik Makers to Hold Exhibition to Strengthen Market Amid Mass-Produced Imitation Threat
The Indonesian Batik Craftsmen and Entrepreneurs Association (APPBI) is organising the ‘Seni Batik Puspa Nuswantara’ exhibition in Jakarta from 8 to 12 July 2026, in a bid to strengthen the national batik market amidst the proliferation of printed batik-motif textiles and imitation products.
The exhibition, themed ‘Rupa Makna Tambal Nusantara’, will be held at the International Convention Centre (JICC) in Senayan. It is designed as a space for promotion, education, appreciation, and consolidation for artisans, batik entrepreneurs, cultural communities, academics, the media, the government, and the wider public to jointly safeguard the sustainability of authentic Indonesian batik, said APPBI Chairman Komarudin Kudiya.
He revealed that the national batik world is facing significant challenges. Behind every piece of batik lies a lengthy process involving skill, perseverance, artistic sense, and the traditional knowledge of artisans—from motif creation, wax application, and dyeing to finishing—which is now under serious pressure from the flood of batik-patterned textiles and imitation products mass-produced using modern printing technology.
These products are often sold at low prices and marketed using the term ‘batik’ without proper explanation of the production process. This situation makes it increasingly difficult for the public to distinguish between hand-drawn batik, stamped batik, combination batik, and printed textiles with batik motifs.
The phenomenon has had a direct impact on traditional batik artisans, who are experiencing declining orders, reduced production, and weakened incomes. Some have even begun to abandon the craft because they cannot compete with industrially produced batik-patterned textiles.
‘If this condition is allowed to continue, Indonesia risks losing the guardians of traditional knowledge who have been the very soul of Nusantara batik. That is why APPBI is presenting the Seni Batik Puspa Nuswantara 2026 as a concrete effort to raise public awareness, strengthen the artisans’ economy, and affirm the importance of siding with authentic Indonesian batik,’ he stated.
The theme ‘Rupa Makna Tambal Nusantara’ was chosen as a symbol of diversity, strength, and hope. ‘Rupa’ represents the visual richness of batik from various regions, ‘Makna’ affirms the philosophical value behind each motif, while ‘Tambal’ serves as a metaphor for collective effort to re-weave the strength of Nusantara batik artisans.
As an art and cultural showcase, Puspa Nuswantara 2026 will feature a range of important agendas, including a display of batik collections from the Pakualaman Palace in Yogyakarta as a tribute to the heritage of court batik and the aesthetic richness of classical batik. Various distinctive batik motifs from Kudus Regency, Central Java, from the Muria Batik Kudus collection, will also be exhibited, alongside contributions from Pati, Lasem in Rembang, and Semarang.
The event will also see the launch of the Puspawicitra batik collection by GKBRAA Paku Alam X, embodying the spirit of Puspa Nuswantara in uniting tradition, creation, and the sustainability of batik as a living and evolving cultural heritage. A book review session for ‘Batik Tiga Negeri’ by Komarudin Kudiya and Afif Syakur will be held to strengthen national batik literacy, particularly in understanding the journey, character, and meaning of Batik Tiga Negeri. Other activities include a batik auction, a fashion show, discussions from the Indonesian community of textile lovers, a people’s batik market, and fashion presentations from private universities in Jakarta and Bandung.