NEWS

The FAD at Maranatha received important visitors from afar: three batik artisans from Lasem came to Bandung to share stories about their trade. This visit is a part of the “Berbagi Cerita Batik Lasem” (Sharing Stories of the Batik Lasem) event: bazaar, scientific discourse, and research dissemination held at B Building’s Exhibition Hall on 6 and 7 December 2022. In line with the title of the talk show, “Culturepreneurship: Noble Traders Preserving the Nation’s Culture”, the speakers discussed the ins and outs of the batik industry in Indonesia. The first to share his story was Dr. Komarudin K., S.Ip, M.Ds., better known as Komar. He explained how batik craftsmen across Indonesia came together to form the Association of Indonesian Batik Craftsmen and Traders (APPBI). This union supports not only the national batik trade but also the science and innovation needed to ensure the longevity of the craft. APPBI works with the government, researchers, and public figures to create new breakthroughs. Take for example their cutting-edge technology of batik waste-water management. “We’re testing it today,” said Komar, the chairman of the association. Another example would be the new, unique technique of creating batik patterns: the "batik pendulum". A container filled with hot wax is suspended above a piece of cloth and then swung to form lines, whose form can be predicted with physics. "We can calculate the amplitude, the temperature of the wax, to create unique patterns, like galaxies." Komar had only told his story from an organizational standpoint. Next, Santoso Hartono informed the audience of his experience as a batik trader and the founder of Batik Pusaka Beruang. He has a lot of cards up his sleeve, ranging from consistently putting up displays at exhibitions, to making friends with new tech: Batik Pusaka Beruang often hosts live streams on Instagram to market their products. Santoso was grateful that the Indonesian people are very supportive of the batik industry, as shown by how easy it is for batik traders and craftsmen to secure loans from banks. Siti Wiwin R. spoke more from her personal experience. The owner of Batik Pesona Canting remembered how her parents had forbidden her from seeking a job to continue her family's business. Thus, Wiwin has been doing batik after graduating from high school. Today, Wiwin's efforts have borne fruits that even her local populace can enjoy, such as creating new job opportunities. What is the trick to her success? "You have to be patient, you've got to persevere when you paint batik," said Wiwin. These qualities are present in every craftsman in Lasem because they no longer use stamps–every piece of batik has to be painted by hand and canting. The speakers gave their words of advice to conclude the talk show. They highly recommended getting into the batik business–if your batik didn't sell today, it might sell tomorrow, next month, or next year, and the cloth won't spoil. So, how do we become a successful batik merchant? How can we become a culturepreneur that contributes to the longevity of our country's traditions? Santoso told the audience to simply make use of what they have. No money to buy the tools needed? No problem! A friend of his made an innovation by using scraps, such as plywood and sacks to make batik stamps, and just with those, he could secure multiple repeat orders and save enough money to buy several houses. Wiwin's advice was in line with her own experience. "Stay focused, don't worry about them not selling well, since batik doesn't go bad." Komar encouraged future businesspeople to have a deep knowledge of their wares: see the difference between real and fake batik, learn the story behind each pattern. It's also important to stay creative and innovative, just like APPBI does. The point is, do these three things: "Know it, wear it, be proud of it." (sj)