ALEX J.

BATIK is a series of photographs that delves into the making of traditional Indonesian Batik. Batik is a form of printing on fabric that is indegenous to Southeast Asian countries and has existed as traditional dress for hundreds of years. These photos show the tools used in making Batik and the materials in which the tools are made of. Each printing block is carefully handcrafted by an artisan into patterns, shapes and images that are local to each tribe, city, or town. Patterns can be printed with the copper blocks or drawn by hand using a canting (a handheld tool that applies wax like a pen), traditionally on to silk or cotton fabric. The patterns are drawn/stamped on with wax, then the fabric is dyed using either plant-based or synthetic dyes. The wax is then boiled off and final fabric is ready.