Techniques of Producing Batik Design by 'Chanting'

One of many techniques in producing making Batik design is by using a tool called 'CHANTING'.  By incorporating natural resources, such designs are produced more creatively.  In this regard, local youths are encouraged to identify potential opportunities in Brunei Darussalam to develop the demand for Batik as a high-value and world-known product in the future.

The Embassy of Republic of Indonesia in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport had organized ' The Batik Workshop With Natural Dyes ' held here for the first time. According to the embassy's Counsellor, the workshop was well received by the participants and he hoped that it will provide more ideas as well as expanding Brunei's economy through creative field. Deny Tri Basuki added, the nation has great potential in further developing its economy especially in terms of blending natural colours for textile materials.

Deny Tri Basuki also observed that Brunei Darussalam have vast areas of rain forests with its rich flora, hence they believed economic potential in this field can be achieved. This was evident with their recent discovery of yellow-coloured sap found inside a small tree branch which can be used as  a natural Batik dye, all in once proved that Brunei's natural resources are indeed possess the said potential for natural dyes in textile manufacturing industry. He further explained that the workshop explores the idea of integrating natural dyes in Batik textiles without using chemical colours is made possible.

The two-day programme was conducted by a professional expert from Indonesia to guide the participants on how to learn to produce a good Batik design as a valuable product by using only natural colours extracted from plants found abundantly in the country. Workshop instructor and researcher, Venny Afwany Alamsyah provided an insight on producing great Batik designs using Chanting technique which is actually one of the tools used in creating Indonesian Batik. She went on to say that participants got the chance to know and learn all about the whole process of making Batik as well as explored possible ways to make good use of the nation's natural resources for natural dyes.

It is hoped that the sharing of information to make good quality batik as reflected in this workshop, local community and youths will be able to give new input in expanding creative arts in Brunei Darussalam.

source :

http://www.rtbnews.rtb.gov.bn/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13732%3Atechniques-of-producing-batik-design-by-chanting&Itemid=80

Batik Maker, Export is Capital Intensive

A salesperson arranging the batik on display at Batik Desamas' booth at the Made in Brunei Expo at the Airport Mall recently. Picture: BT/Al-Haadi Abu Bakar

A LOCAL batik textile company is seeking extra funds to expand into the export market after establishing itself here for many years.

Batik Desamas, the firm that has fused tradition with modern technology in its production of batik, is hoping to expand into the export market with additional funding from government sources.

The proprietor of Batik Desamas, Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim, said that he would not be able to meet global demand without additional financial assistance, even though the business has been export-ready for some time.

"The demand is there. The people out there now recognise Brunei's batik as one of the best in the industry, in terms of design," he said in an interview with The Brunei Times.

Batik Desamas is one of the several companies that is taking part in the "Made in Brunei" Expo at the Airport Mall.

Recently, Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim has been experimenting with new fabric, particularly a new type of cotton that has textural qualities akin to silk, and since then has drawn interest from his customers.

In addition, the textile has grabbed a lot of attention from tourists, particularly at its kiosk at Muara Port where international cruises dock.

But, with increased interest comes the challenge of supplying beyond his current capacity, which produces about 300 to 1,000 metres of Batik daily.

A pioneer in Brunei's batik scene, Brunei's Batik Designer, Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim had started hand-printing batik since 2000.

The Batik Designer said his business has been doing well in the local scene following its introduction of his Digital Batik system.

His Batik is well sought-after among participants in events and national occasions, such as the National Day celebration.

The system, developed by Zainal through financial assistance from the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) two years ago, applies advanced software and engineering to digitalise his hand-drawn work, which can then be replicated to produce a whole range of Batik products. 

The new system is aimed to allow mass production of his Batik designs, as traditional method of producing Batik is not enough to meet the global demand.

Production has been outsourced to Indonesia and recently, to South Korea, which according to Zainal, has drawn criticisms from some locals.

"Often, the mindset of Bruneians is that when we say that we outsource our production overseas, they made the assumption that we import our products," he said.

Zainal said he has been actively clarifying the misconception, adding that his approach is more cost-efficient, rather than having the whole business operations entirely in Brunei. In his current capacity, the cost of bringing the production facility to the Sultanate would be very expensive.

"A lot of successful companies out there, such as in America and South Korea, actually outsource their production to countries like China and the Philippines, and then export to the rest of the world," he explained.

He said his business model has a better value proposition than his competitors', which mainly focuses on selling imported Batik, as he has full control of design and production.

Brunei Times
http://www.bt.com.bn/2013/04/15/export-capital-intensive-batik-maker

Batik Art On The Decline Due to Poor Guidelines

Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim, local Brunei batik artists and textile designer during an interview with The Brunei Times. Picture: BT/Quratul-Ain Bandial

LOCAL art veteran Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim has bemoaned the state of the current batik art scene, saying it has stagnated due to lack of proper guidance and instruction for art students.

A pioneer in Brunei's batik scene, Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim , 62, has been very vocal about the dearth of talent to carry on the centuries-old tradition of batik painting, made famous by artists like Singaporean Sarkasi Said Tzee and Malaysian Ramsay Ong.

In an interview at his Beribi showroom, Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim  spoke about the current batik art exhibition at the Waterfront Gallery, which he called "disappointing".

While the exhibition starts off with works from some of the genre's greats - like Sarkasi said Tzee and Ramsay Ong - and even some of Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim's own paintings, he said the amateur works produced from a series of batik workshops for young artists lacked depth.

"What I saw is very disappointing - not much improvement... I look at student's work and nothing. I don't see any talent or something to be proud of."

"I can't blame the students, it is those who teach it who don't have pure knowledge, or are knowledgeable about the process of batik."

Producing batik is an arduous process which can take weeks, by melting wax on to the canvas before hand-dyeing it a series of colours to create the desired image or effect.

"I think it is their approach whether they are ignorant about the process of batik or don't really care about what is art," said Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim.

"Batik is a process of art and here I see no direction at all."

With more than 40 years of experience including a brief stint as a fine arts instructor at local university Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim  has vast experience in batik, from traditional methods to using digital tools to create motifs.

He said most art instructors in schools and workshops are not experienced enough to steer young talent.

"They just see, they just listen, take a one or two day workshop then start teaching people. This may be a good way to promote (batik artwork) but the proper way to do art is you must have a system and be disciplined."

"Of course art can be experimental you can be immersed in different elements. But you must be immersed in art, the proper technique of doing it. That is part of their failing that they cannot achieve quality."

The fact that the Waterfront Gallery exhibition does not display any recent batik paintings since 2004, speaks to the scarcity of quality local artwork, Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim  lamented.

"I went the other day and thought this is ridiculous work. If I was a teacher I would fail them."

He said there a few local veteran artists who, although may not use batik as their main medium, are well-versed in the genre and could offer much-needed guidance to students.

"We need to involve veteran artists so they can guide the young ones. These people (students) are creative but they need proper technique. So at the end they produce something subpar or has no meaning and it's a pity."

However, batik painting is a dying art not only in Brunei, but in the region as well. In the past five eyars, Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim  himself has largely moved away from batik painting and into commercial textile production as a batik apparel designer.

He has a traditional batik workshop in Solo, Indonesia where he produces his hand-made textiles, and send his digital motifs, created on Adobe Illustrator and other software, to be made in South Korea.

The veteran has participated in a number of international textile exhibitions, including the World Expos in China and South Korea, where he was able to attract the interest of international buyers.

"Most batik artists feel like there is no market for the paintings, so they move into textile batik design. It is a sad truth."

The Brunei Times.
http://www.bt.com.bn/2012/12/23/batik-art-decline-due-poor-guidelines

Brunei Handicrafts on Show in Bali

BRUNEI handicrafts were on display at the Asean Textile Exhibition here in Bali in the country's bid to showcase its traditions and prowess in folk handicraft.

Showcased at the Bali International Convention Centre, three Bruneianentrepreneurs who were flown to the tourist island courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) have been minding the Brunei exhibition stall since Wednesday.

A senior official from the MoFAT's Department of International Trade who agreed to speak to The Brunei Times on the condition of anonymity said that the ministry collaborated with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports to promote Brunei's local handmade products during the exhibition.

"We're giving opportunities to local SMEs to market their products here as they would be able to promote their products through the exhibition. At the same time, they would be able to establish business network with producers from Malaysia and Singapore for example," said the official.

"The local SMEs could also use the exhibition as a platform to share and listen to experiences from fellow producers in region."

Asmad Hj Umar of Asnika Enterprise, one of the exhibitors, has made a name for himself in producing quality traditional fabric which is highly sought after in Brunei.

Asmad said the exhibition was an opportunity to educate the community of Asean on Brunei's identity through the art of weaving.

"Although the artworks (have some semblance) of Malaysian and Indonesian influences, Brunei's design has an identity and motif of its own, which makes it unique to the eyes of those who appreciate the art of handicraft making," said Asmad.

He said a number of delegates from various countries have visited his booth, as well as VVIPs which included Indonesia's first lady.

Sharing the booth with Asnika was another local firm Batik Desamas, owned by batik designer ZainalAbidin Ibrahim.

Eyeing overseas markets, Zainal was hoping to seize the opportunity to promote his Batik products through new channels knowing that delegates from the US and Brazil would be visiting.

Zainal Abidin recently developed an innovative system that will allow his batik to be mass produced in order to capitalise on the regional and possibly global market.

The innovation, he said, is "Digital Batik", in which he applies advanced software and engineering todigitalise his hand-drawn work, which can then be replicated to produce a whole range of Batik products from apparels to bedsheets. A prototype of a few of his products were displayed on the Brunei booth.

Meanwhile, Hjh Robiah Hj Ampal, designer and proprietorof woven Brunei handicrafts (under her company Hikmah Enterprise) showcased her signature sinjang, a cloth Malay males normally wear around their waists to complement the national costume, baju melayu.

Hj Robiah, who has participated in a number of expos in various countries over the years, said that the textile fair was an opportunity to not just promote her products, but also to get inspiration from foreign exhibitors on new design ideas for her future designs.

Unlike the trade expos whichshe has participated in Malaysia in recent years however, Hj Robiah said that the current exhibitionhas not gained much consumer traffic.

"The Summit is held near here, hence the security has been very tight around this compound, and the venue is not open to the public except for Asean delegates and officials with passes," she said.

The exhibition was aimed to broaden the visitors' insight on the cultural similarities between the Aseannations through the art of hand woven textiles. It was also a one-stop-shopping avenue for the delegates of the Asean Summit looking to bring home quality souveniers from the Southeast Asian countries.

Through handwoven products, the exhibition showcases the diversity of the Asean's cultural heritage and also the similarities of national history, culture and the community of the region.

Around 150 textile exhibitors from Asean countries participated in the exhibition, with more than 1,200 handcrafted products being showcased on the exhibition floor.

The Brunei Times
http://www.bt.com.bn/business-national/2011/11/20/brunei-handicrafts-show-bali

Batik Desamas Goes Digital Designs

Some of the batik products are displayed at Batik Desamas' Brunei exhibition booth during a recent exhibition in South Korea. The company is using technology to mass produce its designs. 

INNOVATION does not necessarily have to be in the form of a product or service; it can be a system in the production process, and this is the idea behind digital batik, an innovation introduced by a local batik producer and designer Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim.

Under his firm Batik Desamas, Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim. hopes to design his way out of Brunei into the world, through a system he created which applies both the traditional method of hand-drawing as well as computer-generated graphics.

A pioneer in Brunei's batik scene, Zainal Abidin had started hand-printing batik since 2000. However, it was only during the last five years that he became more active in the business, during which he had participated in a number of international textile exhibitions such as Shanghai and South Korea, where he was able to attract the attention of the international audience of his batik artwork.

His goal is to mass produce his designs for the international market. However, he said that the traditional method of producing Batik is not enough to meet the global demand. 

He revealed that hiring more workers remain a challenge for the batik business, as there are only a handful of batik designers who are up to the tasks. Traditional methods of preparation also requires more time and effort in order to produce a certain amount of batik.

"The times have changed. We need to innovate if we want to grab the worldwide market. We cannot just sit and rely solely on the traditional process," he said.

However, Zainal Abidin was unable to meet the criteria to sustain a profitable trade with global partners due to the lack of facilities for mass production, and hence turned to the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) for aid. 

The firm received funding from the BEDB under its Local Enterprise Applications Products (LEAP) programme, a grant worth $150,000 to aid the firm in the development of a prototype of its intended innovation. The firm was one of the eight recipients who were successfully shortlisted for the grant earlier this year.

"The funding allows me to easily explore to other places and discover new ideas and technologies which can be applicable for this system," he said.

Using advanced software and engineering which he was able to outsource to another country, Zainal Abidin was able to transform his hand-drawn work into digital form, which allows his artwork to be replicated for mass production.

"Every batik designers and enthusiasts agree that the best batik are the ones that are traditionally hand-drawn by its artists, and so that essence is still preserved in this system," he said.

He also said that the Batik needs to have its own identity, not just to preserve the authenticity, but also to promote the origins of the product and giving it a distinct Made-in-Brunei brand.

"Our designs must be distinct to that of the Javanese and Malaysian batiks, and must possess the motifs of our Bruneian culture," he added.

He said that one advantage of going digital is that it allows for low-cost production of batik textile, and thus bringing costs down for consumers.

"When hand-drawn, it takes a lot of effort, and so the batik has to be sold at a premium. Furthermore, going digital enables us to reach all market sectors, and majority of them are price-sensitive. That's the market we are after," he said.

He said the technology will also allow his digital batik to be applied for the creation of a variety of other products imbedded with his design.

He said that most foreigners were mainly impressed with his batik designs and there was demand for the designs to be imbedded into a wide variety of products such as shirts, scarfs, neckties and bedsheets, among others.

"There is a high demand for that in the outside market, particularly in South Korea," he said. 

He said that the prototypes of his products are already in production, and he is now looking at potential markets for distribution, with South Korea already expressing strong interest.

Brunei Times
http://www.bt.com.bn/business-national/2011/11/16/batik-desamas-goes-digital-designs

Funding Issue Hampers Batik Export Dreams

GAUGING from the interest expressed by foreign buyers, a batik textile entrepreneur is hoping to expand into the export market with additional funding from government sources. Without this extra financial assistance, Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim said he would not be able to meet demand although the business is export ready.

Batik prints from Batek Desamas. Pictures: Courtesy of Batek Desamas

Bringing in a bit of modernity and maintaining quality standards is helping the proprietor of Batik Desamas maintain his share of the niche market of batik textiles. With two months to go before his new designs are launched, the entrepreneur is confident he will be able to make the sales. To meet the demands of foreign buyers, however, Zainal said the business needs extra funding. 

In an interview with The Brunei Times, he said, "The demand is there; the people outside especially, (they are interested by the ) uniqueness of design and probably, they can see the difference in the design (compared to) other countries." 

He added, working with the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR) has enabled him to gain more exposure to foreign markets; but with increased interest comes the challenge of supplying beyond his current capacity. "The response was good (from foreign buyers) but this is only in terms of the demonstration, not selling," he said. "What I can see (however) is the demand, the opportunities." 

His outlet is located in Sumbangsih Mulia Building, Gadong but Zainal also has a space to sell his products at the Cruise Ship Centre in the Muara Port Terminal, giving him exposure to tourists, particularly European passengers. "They buy some of my material, so that is how I can evaluate (whether) they like the quality. To me it's quite interesting, because they went to so many places in the country, and of course they are very familiar with the material (and) what they want."

A majority of his customers say they are drawn to the quality of his batik products, he said.

He noted that the business hasn't made any "positive transactions" yet in terms of European foreign exports, but there are enquiries about price and how the designs differ from other batik products. Because he is operating in such a limited niche market, Zainal admits that in relative terms, his sales volumes may be mistaken for lack of good business. "I don't do volume, because my strength is quite limited so of course (with) the financing, I'm quite limited in that, I do whatever I can afford. But hopefully if I get help from other sources, probably, the production can increase." 

The businessman is now looking to experiment with new fabrics, in the hopes that international and regional buyers will be caught by the batik 'bug'. 

Zainal said that he is now experimenting with a new type of cotton that has textural qualities akin to silk. "The cotton that I use ... will be more interesting; the material is outsourced from Europe," he said, adding that he was also "quite interested to see it, because I've never seen it before". 

"When I bought this material, and I tried to make my product into the batik (and) it looks quite interesting. I'm really quite surprised. That's why I feel, if (this product is) already in the market, it would be sellable - this would be something people are looking for and it's suited to the community here in Brunei." While the imported material would add to his costs, Zainal is confident he can make the necessary adjusments in other areas. The important thing right now is to plan for expansion into the export market. 

The Brunei Times
http://www.bt.com.bn/business-national/2010/06/13/funding-issue-hampers-export-dreams