Brahma Tirta Sari Studio 2 - Indonesia
Nia Fliam & Agus Ismoyo Batik Studio - Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Ismoyo and Nia met in 1985 and began an intense artistic collaboration. “Art is my religion” says Ismoyo “I love the creative process and the philosophy behind it. In Javanese philosophy, everybody has an inner teacher, a genuine authenticity. The creative process invites you to be true to yourself, to look within yourself and see who you truly are. Batik is called a resist-technique, but I see it as an absorb-technique. Batik is like a pillow. The life of Indonesian people has been absorbed and recorded in batik for many generations, like our sweat is absorbed in the pillow we use every day”.
Inspired by their spiritual quest and technical mastery, the artists transcend together the ancient art of batik. The use of the copper stamp (cap) to instill movement and depth has become the landmark of BTS. “Not so long ago, people wore their batik sarongs every day. Today, batik textiles have become motion-less, flat and decorative wall-hangings. The cap is a creative addition to the canting” says Agus Ismoyo. Holding the cap of the ancient forbidden motif Kawung, he wrinkles and folds a white cloth on which he applies the cap, swiveling it at the last moment, an intricate process that requires extreme accuracy. With this unconventional use of the cap, different motifs may overlap, instilling a strong sense of movement to the whole design. The three-dimensional visual effect is further enhanced with color and the silk’s sheerness, BTS fabric of choice. Their batiks may undergo the long process of waxing-dyeing-removing the wax up to 20 to 30 times, depending of the number of colors. It takes several weeks to complete a batik and a full year to achieve a monumental piece.
Batik Motifs
The Five Elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Ether) are central to the collaborative works of the duet batik-artists who sign their pieces IsNia.
“Water is the symbol of knowledge and the mirror of the above and intangible world. Batik isn’t only about aesthetics. It conveys the values of Javanese philosophy, including the Tribawana concept which refers to the presence of three worlds, the microcosmos, macro-cosmos and the unseen world” says Agus Ismoyo. BTS batik artworks honor three powerful Javanese motifs that once belonged to the Larangan designs, the forbidden batik motifs reserved for the royal courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta: Parang, Kawung, Semen.
Parang is a diagonal motif related to the Keris, the Javanese ceremonial dagger said to possess mystical and spiritual powers. It is believed the Parang motif was created in the 17th century by Sultan Agung of Mataram. There are many variations of this sacred motif, such as the large Parang Barong regarded as a symbol of power and greatness that could only be worn by the King. The Parang sword pattern brings good fortune and has healing powers.
Kawung is an old geometric pattern consisting of four intersecting circles and considered one of the oldest motifs in batik. It may represent the Kolang-Kaling fruit cut in half or a stylized lotus flower, which implies purity. Kawung is the symbol of fertility and wisdom and represents the four-directions in Javanese philosophy. This very ancient motif appears on the walls of the temple of Prambanan built in Central Java in the 10th century.
Semen comes from the word “semi” and means “to sprout” or “to grow”. This most sacred pattern embodies the Tribawana concept (The Three worlds) in Javanese philosophy. The Semen motif may have a black background representing the unseen world, or a white background symbolizing the tangible world. The design includes references to the sacred Mount Meru and the mythical bird-man Garuda. Semen is worn by the Javanese King for the highest ceremonial occasions.
Cross cultural collaborations
Nia and Ismoyo see batik as a natural way to collaborate with foreign artists, sharing traditional techniques and skills. They invited a group of Aboriginal batikers from Utopia in Australia to their Java-based studio and traveled to Australia a few years later to work with Aboriginal women from the indigenous Ernabella Arts Center. These collaborations have produced series of powerful artworks on silk, blending Indonesian batik motifs with traditional Aboriginal symbols such as Sacred Zoo, Symbol of Significance or Jagad Agung, The Blessing of God Comes Down. At home in Java, they have an ongoing collaboration with the Bimasakti women cooperative, located 20km to the south of Yogyakarta.
Read MoreIsmoyo and Nia met in 1985 and began an intense artistic collaboration. “Art is my religion” says Ismoyo “I love the creative process and the philosophy behind it. In Javanese philosophy, everybody has an inner teacher, a genuine authenticity. The creative process invites you to be true to yourself, to look within yourself and see who you truly are. Batik is called a resist-technique, but I see it as an absorb-technique. Batik is like a pillow. The life of Indonesian people has been absorbed and recorded in batik for many generations, like our sweat is absorbed in the pillow we use every day”.
Inspired by their spiritual quest and technical mastery, the artists transcend together the ancient art of batik. The use of the copper stamp (cap) to instill movement and depth has become the landmark of BTS. “Not so long ago, people wore their batik sarongs every day. Today, batik textiles have become motion-less, flat and decorative wall-hangings. The cap is a creative addition to the canting” says Agus Ismoyo. Holding the cap of the ancient forbidden motif Kawung, he wrinkles and folds a white cloth on which he applies the cap, swiveling it at the last moment, an intricate process that requires extreme accuracy. With this unconventional use of the cap, different motifs may overlap, instilling a strong sense of movement to the whole design. The three-dimensional visual effect is further enhanced with color and the silk’s sheerness, BTS fabric of choice. Their batiks may undergo the long process of waxing-dyeing-removing the wax up to 20 to 30 times, depending of the number of colors. It takes several weeks to complete a batik and a full year to achieve a monumental piece.
Batik Motifs
The Five Elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Ether) are central to the collaborative works of the duet batik-artists who sign their pieces IsNia.
“Water is the symbol of knowledge and the mirror of the above and intangible world. Batik isn’t only about aesthetics. It conveys the values of Javanese philosophy, including the Tribawana concept which refers to the presence of three worlds, the microcosmos, macro-cosmos and the unseen world” says Agus Ismoyo. BTS batik artworks honor three powerful Javanese motifs that once belonged to the Larangan designs, the forbidden batik motifs reserved for the royal courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta: Parang, Kawung, Semen.
Parang is a diagonal motif related to the Keris, the Javanese ceremonial dagger said to possess mystical and spiritual powers. It is believed the Parang motif was created in the 17th century by Sultan Agung of Mataram. There are many variations of this sacred motif, such as the large Parang Barong regarded as a symbol of power and greatness that could only be worn by the King. The Parang sword pattern brings good fortune and has healing powers.
Kawung is an old geometric pattern consisting of four intersecting circles and considered one of the oldest motifs in batik. It may represent the Kolang-Kaling fruit cut in half or a stylized lotus flower, which implies purity. Kawung is the symbol of fertility and wisdom and represents the four-directions in Javanese philosophy. This very ancient motif appears on the walls of the temple of Prambanan built in Central Java in the 10th century.
Semen comes from the word “semi” and means “to sprout” or “to grow”. This most sacred pattern embodies the Tribawana concept (The Three worlds) in Javanese philosophy. The Semen motif may have a black background representing the unseen world, or a white background symbolizing the tangible world. The design includes references to the sacred Mount Meru and the mythical bird-man Garuda. Semen is worn by the Javanese King for the highest ceremonial occasions.
Cross cultural collaborations
Nia and Ismoyo see batik as a natural way to collaborate with foreign artists, sharing traditional techniques and skills. They invited a group of Aboriginal batikers from Utopia in Australia to their Java-based studio and traveled to Australia a few years later to work with Aboriginal women from the indigenous Ernabella Arts Center. These collaborations have produced series of powerful artworks on silk, blending Indonesian batik motifs with traditional Aboriginal symbols such as Sacred Zoo, Symbol of Significance or Jagad Agung, The Blessing of God Comes Down. At home in Java, they have an ongoing collaboration with the Bimasakti women cooperative, located 20km to the south of Yogyakarta.
