The Art of Batik on Wood
Each Piece Tells a Story
The process of making batik on wood involves many steps and very dependent on nature such as natural sunlight.
Batik is an ancient art form that originated in Indonesia, specifically on the island of Java, more than a thousand years ago. The technique was later on developed on wood as a way to decorate various wooden objects.
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First of all is the preparation of wood, the wood surface needs to be cleaned, sanded, and smoothed to prepare it for the batik process. After that the desired design is drawn on the wood surface.
Hot wax is applied by using tjanting to the wood surface, following the outline of the design. This creates a resist for the dye. After wax application is done, the dye is applied directly to the wood surface by using brush or by dipping the wood into a dye bath.
The waxing and dyeing process are repeated to create multi-colored design.
The waxing and dyeing process are repeated to create multi-colored design, each time re-waxing the areas that need to remain the previous color. Once the final dye has been applied, the wood is dried under the sun. Some colours will only turn out nice after this step that is why sunlight plays important role in the process. When it is fully dry, the wax is removed by pouring boiling water to the wood. This melts the wax and allows it to be wiped off, revealing the final design. The wood is then sanded, polished and varnished to protect the batik design and make it safe for food contact.
