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Journey to Batik Projects Work on paper

Design for Javanese women event

Legien Warsosemito-Schenk & Stijn Schenk reached out to me asking if I wanted to design, or create, a batik inspired motif for their event. The event held on 17 June 2023 is part of a series organized by them, Jessica Warsosemito & Monique Koosman ~ in which Javanese(-Surinamese) women from different generations come together and reflect on the impact of colonial history.
For 17 June the focus was on sexuality and the view on sexuality and I was asked to translate this theme ~ which consist of many different elements ~ into a pattern.

Through talking with Legien, about symbols, colours & what it means for her and the room she wants to create for Javanese women, I soon got an idea on how the repeating of the pattern had to look like.
It had to be a circle, a close space, to represent a safe space, but at the same time it had to move outward, in a ritme that goes with the flow, to grow & learn in your own pace.
In the center ~ on request ~ the Mamuli. The Mamuli originates from the Indonesian island Sumba, it has a shape which represents the female genitalia, symbolizing the woman as the giver of life.
Around it I placed different animals who have a symbolic connection with sexuality, but also with movement & growth. In a short talk during the event I explained a little more on this.
It was really nice to get this invite, feel honoured. I had to make in a bit of a rush, but I am very happy with the result & all the nice responses I got on it during the event.

On 18 november 2023 there will be another event at Bibliotheek Zuidplein in Rotterdam~ open to everyone ~ reflecting on the gatherings and presenting the (art)works that were made to complement the events.

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Projects Work on paper

Business card for Maureen Tan

Business card art by me
Business card design by Martijn Bekker I Karakter design
Batik by Miss Nurul Maslahah

After sharing the business card I got to design for historian Suze Zijlstra, Indonesian food chef & cookbook author Maureen Tan contacted me she would like me to make hers also.
Maureen shared with me what elements she would like in the design, the colours and meaning behind it for her. I know what kind of Batiks she likes and had an image in my mind right away.
After sending a sketch, which honestly didn’t do my idea justice, I got a green light from her.
It was great to make again custom business card art.

The base of the design is a Pagi-Sore, day and night, which representing duality, the light and the dark, like two sides of a story.
One side is more food related, the green side, with a cobek and ulekan {mortar & pestle}. The isen-isen, filling motifs, are also food related; beras wutah {scattered rice}, aseman {tamarinde leaves} & lombakan.
The other side, the blue side, is the family side, with references to Maureen Tan’s parents who inspired her, guided her and keep guiding her on her journey.
Next to the business card, a bookmark was made to accompany Maureen Tan’s new cookbook ‘JAVA’.


After I designed it, Maureen asked if we could turn it in an actual Batik too.
Miss Nurul of Batik Tulis Batang was happy to except this challenge and created this amazing slendang in full Batik Tulis from my design.
What a stunning work, it is perfect and colours are so good.
How wonderful we could make these custom Artworks for Maureen Tan within a few months.

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News Work on paper

3 & 15 August 2022 – Papieren sarong DIY & Workshops

In het voorjaar werd ik gecontacteerd of ik mee wilde werken aan een DIY gebaseerd op Batik in aanloop naar de 15 augustus herdenking. Ik heb, na wat bedenktijd, de DIY gemaakt, met een printbare doe-it-het-zelf-handleiding en een video door Gado Gado Productions. Nu komen er ook twee workshops aan onder begeleiding van mij , op 3 augustus bij Muzee en op 15 augustus bij het Nationaal Theater! De workshops zijn voor iedereen toegankelijk zijn! Onderaan meer info & links waar aan te melden. De DIY kan individueel, maar juist ook in groepsverband, dus doe mee met jouw vrienden of familie!

Zelf aan de slag!

DIY batik | hoe maak ik een papieren sarong


Papieren sarong

Het maken van echte batik duurt dagen en is een ingewikkeld proces. Het effect van een echte batik kunnen we op papier na maken met een paar simpele elementen: kraftliner of bruin inpakpapier, vetkrijt zonder kleur en ecoline of waterverf. In Indonesië werken vaak meerdere mensen aan een batikdoek. De papieren sarongs maken wij om die reden ook in kleine groepen van twee of drie mensen.


Wat is batik?

Batik is een uitsparingstechniek waarbij met hete was patronen worden gecreëerd op stof. De techniek batik is sinds 2009 UNESCO immaterieel erfgoed van Indonesië. Batik is een im- materieel erfgoed, omdat het meer is dan alleen een techniek. De motieven en kleuren die gebruikt worden in batik hebben een betekenis en hiermee kan zowel de maker als de drager een betekenis uitdragen. Om kennis te maken met de patroonwereld van batik, gebruiken we niet de moeilijke techniek van hete was op stof. Maar laten we ons wel inspireren door de verhalen en betekenis achter de motieven om onze eigen sarongs op papier te creëren.

Jill & Yorick aan de slag tijdens het maken van de DIY video


Patronen maken

De patronen in batik vertellen samen met het kleurgebruik iets over de afkomst van de doeken, de maker en de drager. Denk na over welke motieven jullie willen gaan maken. Je kan je laten inspireren door je omgeving of achtergrond. Of misschien wil je wel iemand herdenken?
Je kan individueel patronen maken en samen laten komen op de sarong, of een patroon maken waarin juist alles gecombineerd wordt. Een patroon kan bestaan uit bestaande symbolen, maar je kunt deze ook zelf maken. Patronen creëer je door herhaling. Je kunt ervoor kiezen om één of meerdere figuren groot te tekenen, maar als je deze kleiner maakt en herhaalt krijg je vanzelf een patroon.
Batikmakers halen inspiratie uit hun directe omgeving, uit alles wat om hen heen groeit en bloeit, maar ook uit verhalen, rituelen en hun geloof. Ook zijn voor batikmakers de motieven belangrijk die gemaakt werden door hun voorouders. Vroeger werd het maken van batik doorgegeven van moeder op dochter. Nu nog steeds geven batikkerijen patronen door binnen de familie

-> lees de volledige instructies in de printbare DIY

Voorbeeld die ik maakte ter voorbereiding met een boeket van herdenkingsbloemen

Met mij aan de slag!

Op 3 augustus om 19.00u bij Muzee in Scheveningen, meedoen is gratis, maar wel graag aanmelden via de website: https://www.muzeescheveningen.nl/activiteit/workshop-batik-maak-je-eigen-print/

Op 15 augustus vanaf 13.30u bij Het Nationaal Theater in Den Haag, wederom gratis en ook graag aanmelden via de website: https://www.hnt.nl/voorstellingen/7212/Sabine_Bolk_/Workshop_DIY_Batik_papieren_sarong_maken_

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Films Journey to Batik Projects Work on paper

Business card & Batik Consultation Suze Zijlstra

Two years ago, in 2020, historian and author Suze Zijlstra asked me if I knew someone to design her business card. She wanted something maybe with batik and referring to her research & upcoming book ‘De Voormoeders’. I sayed I would love to do it . When we had our first lockdown I started designing her card. A year later her card was printed and in September 2021 her book was published.
Since up till now Suze did not had many opportunities to hand out the card, I thought it would be nice to share the card, the inspiration & her book in a Batik Consultation video.

We talk in depth about one of Suze’s ancestors, Tan Kim Njo, and the batiks that she wore. And how those batiks inspired the business card I designed for Suze.

Now online on Youtube with Dutch & English subtitles:

Batik Consultation with Suze Zijlstra, historian and author of the book ‘De Voormoeders’ that was published last year. We talk in depth about one of Suze’s ancestors, Tan Kim Njo, and the batiks that she wore. And how those batiks inspired the business card I designed for Suze.

Books in the video:

‘De Voormoeders – Een verborgen Nederlands-Indische familiegeschiedenis’ by Suze Zijlstra (2021)
‘Batik Klasik – Classical batik’ by Drs. Hamzuri (1981)
‘Gedragen doeken – verhalen in batik’ by Liesje de Leeuw (2016)
‘Batik – Traditional textiles of Indonesia from the Rudolf Smend & Donald Harper Collections’ (2015)

Photo credits for photos/images used in the video:

Photos made available by Suze Zijlstra
Photos from the UB Leiden/KITLV collection:KITLV 4525 & KITLV 54280
Photo from Tropenmuseum TM-60033564
Photos of Batik, also styled with kebaya, special thank you to John Ang

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Journey to Batik Projects Work on paper

Zine ‘The Penguin & The Batik’

Made my first Zine! It is on one of those Batik story that I wanted to tell for a long time already & a little Zine in Riso turned out to be the perfect match for this strange tale; ‘The Penguin & The Batik’. I made the Zine with the great guidance & support of Michael van Kekem at his studio in Rotterdam (NL)

The Zine tells in 20 pages the story from the moment I discover a penguin on a Batik. A visual story made in Riso Print in edition of 25 pieces.

~ The Zine is sold out ~

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Journey to Batik Projects Work on paper

Colouring pages inspired by Batik motifs ~ Free download

Free to download, 5 colouring pages drawn by me based on different Batik motifs. Click download or click the image to go to the PDF. You can print them either on A4 or A3. Share with me if you made one of them, reach out on Social Media and tag me!

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Installations Journey to Batik Projects Work on paper

The journey of Batik

Titel of work: ‘The journey of Batik’

Location: Electron, Breda (NL)

Technique: Wallpaper installation

Year: 2010

 

On 20 meter of  wallpaper I painted a pattern based on the bird-like plant motif found on Batik from Lasem (ID) and a pattern based on my ricebird Batik in flight. The wallpapers together form the transformation from bird into motif.

This installation was displayed twice in 2010. In Breda at the exhibition ‘Paper in progress’ and in Leiden during the festival PindaKAAS.

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Installations Projects Work on paper

Forest exhibition with Emmy Dijkstra

Titel of work: ‘Forest exhibition’

In collaboration with Emmy Dijkstra

Location: Enschede and Etten-Leur (NL)

Technique: Stencil on (wall)paper

Year: 2012

 

In 2011 me and Emmy Dijkstra started working together. The collaboration began as an online residency. On a blog we shared our inspiration and worked with a shared theme for each new work. In one year we made four paper installations and a lot of small sketches together and apart from each other.  We were looking for a space to show our works, when reading  ‘The Summer book’ by Tove Jansson gave us the perfect location: the forest.

We showed our works first in Enschede and later that year in the forest ‘De Koekoek’ in Etten-Leur. The exhibition was shown one day and was build up and down on that same day. For the opening we read out a chapter from ‘The Summer book’ in which a little girl is exploring the island she is staying on that Summer and finds an exhibition, hidden in the forest.

To read more about the forest exhibitions and our ongoing collaboration visit edijkstra.wordpress.com

Pictures by me and Rense Nieuwenhuis

 

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Installations Projects Work on paper

Little Nana’s Cape

Titel of work: ‘Little Nana’s Cape

Location: De Grote Kerk in Breda (NL)

Technique: Wallpaper installation

Year: 2013

 

In the Summer of 2013 I made a 30 meter Wallpaper installation for an exhibition in De Grote Kerk in Breda (NL). I made with stencils a pattern of different butterflies connected with folktales about death. Some butterflies are seen as the returning souls of lost ones (the Monarchs during Día de Muertos), others as bringers of bad news (the Atlas Moth on Java and the Death’s head hawkmoth in the Netherlands). All butterflies represent in one way or another rebirth, because of their magical transformation from caterpillar to butterfly, but especially butterflies that migrate are connected with these stories and believes.
The title ‘Little Nana’s Cape’ is inspired by a mythical story from the Aztec about their god Nanahuatzin.

On my blog De reis naar Batik more about my inspiration for this work in the post ‘Lepidopterist simply observe lepidopterans

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Journey to Batik Projects Work on paper

Difficult Time

The work ‘Difficult Time’ was shown in the exhibition ‘The journey to Batik – Day & Night’ from 16 December 2018 until 20 January 2019 at De Nieuwe Veste in Breda (NL).

Read more about this work also on my blog De reis naar Batik in the post ‘Difficult Time

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Work on paper

View on the Linie

Work ‘View on the Linie’, acrylic on kraftliner paper, part of exhibition in the neighbourhood De Linie, Breda in 2013

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Work on paper

Dreams

Work ‘Dreams/Dromen’, acrylic on kraftliner paper. Inspired by the view from my sidejob, made in 2012

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Work on paper

For the Swedish Forest

Magazine cover for the last edition of CFK in 2010. The organisation joked it was ‘for the Swedish forest’ they quite printing the magazine and switched to a digital one. This joke inspired my design.

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Work on paper

In Holland staat een huis

Screenprint series ‘In Holland staat een huis‘ from 2009, title based on a children-song, design based on the ceramic ‘Boerenbont‘ and Batik

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Work on paper

Heerlijkheden

Screen-prints titled ‘Heerlijkheden‘ for a graphic art project by Het Centrum Beeldende Kunst en Vormgeving West-Brabant (CBKWB), made in 2009. I based my work on ‘coats of arms’ of local villages that got added to bigger places, so disappeared in a sense. I made this ‘coat of arm’ represents them all.

heerlijkheid (a Dutch word; pl. heerlijkheden; also called heerschap) was a landed estate that served as the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas in the Dutch-speaking Low Countries before 1800. It originated as a unit of lordship under the feudal system during the Middle Ages. The English equivalents are manor, seigniory, and lordship. The heerlijkheid system was the Dutch version of manorialism that prevailed in the Low Countries and was the precursor to the modern municipality system in the Netherlands and Flemish Belgium. – from Wikipedia

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Work on paper

Fifteen Minutes Of Freedom

Work ‘Fifteen Minutes Of Freedom’, aquarel & tracing paper on paper, made in 2006