Batik on cloth is common enough. But on the surface of water hyacinth stems – now that’s exceptional.

In addition to the complexity of the task, the technique also requires in-depth experimentation. And that has been done by Supriyatno, a batik designer from Krapyak village in Yogyakarta.

For almost seven years, Supriyatno has been producing batik souvenirs made from water hyacinths.

Since the raw material is a plant, this kind of batik is not intended to be used for clothing, but rather for accessories, interior partitioning, artistic tablecloths, placemats, decorative walls and indoor screens.

To date, thousands of water hyacinth batiks have been produced in various sizes and models. The products are packaged in different sizes. The smallest retail for Rp 200,000 (US$20) each, while larger ones cost up to Rp 1.5 million. In a month, Supriyatno can make 300 batik handicrafts.

Almost all his products are dominated by the color brown. That’s because the special color of the water hyacinth is light brown, and the color of the batik scratches is dark brown.

Matching the light and dark brown with the technique of batik hatching creates a natural impression, especially when the items are finished. The edges are decorated with a frame of sewn white cloth. The result is unique and beautiful.

Water hyacinth batik has far more painted motifs than conventional batik, although other motifs can also be created. The themes that feature in Supriyatno’s batik paintings mostly take the form of humans, plants and animals, with nuances of exotic Bali.

“I do this intentionally because so far the strongest market for my products in this country has been Bali,” says Supriyatno, chairman of the Yogyakarta Crafts Artists Association.

“Plus, Bali is also a powerful icon of our tourism industry.”

From his teenage years, the now father of three has been fond of batik. While still in high school, he won several batik competitions.

His love for the traditional art continued after he graduated from the Indonesian Arts Institute in Yogyakarta in 1992. He continued his association with other batik designers in the Tamansari and Batik Center areas of Yogyakarta.

Before discovering that water hyacinths could be used as a medium for batik, Supriyatno wrestled with textiles. From 2002 he began experimenting with a selection of aquatic plants. His choice of water hyacinths was based on his interest in the unique colors and texture of the coarse but pliable plant. Its unique texture meant water hyacinths could be used as a raw material for a variety of handicrafts.

His creations were then exhibited in the Netherlands in 2003, where he showed 50 samples of his work. They sold out, fetching an average Rp 2.5 million a piece. That event effectively introduced water hyacinth batik to the outside world. Further success came in the same year when he received an invitation to exhibit his works in Malaysia and Singapore.

When he first began experimenting with the unusual medium, Supriyatno immediately faced several difficulties. The texture of the coarse plant was unlike regular stationery in that it couldn’t be used for drawing sketches.

Nor could it be colored with traditional batik dye, because the stem pores were too small and thus wouldn’t absorb the dye. And when an ordinary canting (the small metal batik dipper) was used to apply hot wax, the result was far from smooth

After much trial and error, Supriyatno finally hit upon the solution. To draw the sketches he used an eyeliner pencil. To open up the pores of the stems, he first boiled the water hyacinth in aluminium sulfate. When it came to doing the batik work, he used a homemade canting made from a bicycle tire nipple.

“Overcoming these difficulties while experimenting took about six months,” he recalls with satisfaction

He also claims to be the only water hyacinth batik artist in Indonesia, and takes pride in having had the opportunity to exhibit internationally, including in the Netherlands, Malaysia, Singapore and Germany.

In 2006, Supriyatno was selected as one of two candidates from 150 applicants who participated in an international crafts competition in Jakarta sponsored by the World Bank.

Because his products are unique, this helps them sell well. Almost all the work he produces sells out, often overnight. He adds he sometimes can’t handle all the orders he gets from domestic and overseas customers.

His domestic market is focused mainly in Balinese art markets, while his overseas buyers are mostly in the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, China and Hong Kong.

In addition, many officials also snap up his homemade batik, including Bantul Regent Idham Samawi, Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

“The theme of the collection chosen by Yudhoyono was the young women of Bali,” Supriyatno says.

Although the skills and knowledge to make water hyacinth batik was achieved through long experiments, Supriyatno has not been mean about sharing his discoveries with others. He says he is happy to pass on his knowledge to anyone willing to learn, and has held various training programs on the art.

He also uses his home in the middle of a crowded kampung as a training center for those wanting to learn how to make water hyacinth batik. Almost every month, guests from outside the city come to learn his batik techniques.

“In the last few days, a group of mothers from Aceh and Lombok have been here to learn for two days,” he says. So far, the raw material in the form of woven water hyacinth has come from Pekalongan, Central Java, where the water hyacinth stems are reputedly quite long.

“Apart from that, the weavers can tightly arrange the water hyacinth as woven mats,” Supriyatno says.

Source: The Jakarta Post – 7 December 2009