Indonesian batik industry sees rapid growth

By Otniel Tamindael Jakarta, June 25 (Antara) -- The creative industry of batik in Indonesia is growing rapidly, keeping the local expertise alive and sustaining the nation's traditional art and culture form. The development of batik has bright market prospects because it is supported by the community and the government, particularly in campaigns for the use of batik clothing as the national dress. In addition, Indonesian batik was proclaimed by the UNESCO as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity on October 2, 2009. Since then, the government of Indonesia declared October 2 as Batik Day, which is celebrated nationwide every year. The government, private institutions, schools and citizens in various regions have also taken the initiative to wear batik at least once a week, especially on Fridays. With even the youth having made batik clothing part of their wardrobe, it is no longer used only during formal occasions such as weddings. At the Jakarta Convention Center on Wednesday, Vice President Jusuf Kalla opened the "Gelar Batik Nusantara 2015" exhibition, organized by the Indonesian Batik Foundation and PT Mediatama Binakreasi. To be held from June 24 to 28 with the theme, "Batik Uniting Nations," thousands of coastal batik motifs and those of the best Indonesian batik collectors will be showcased at the expo. "The popularity of batik is more widespread now than ever before," the vice president said in his opening address. Kalla noted that batik was no longer merely a traditional dress but had undergone changes for the international market and had been adapted by several countries. He explained that innovations in batik first started being made on the island of Java, but now, it has evolved in various regions across the Indonesian archipelago. Furthermore, besides being a cultural factor that serves to unify the nation, batik has also developed in a number of neighboring countries such as India and Malaysia, Kalla remarked. He also pointed out that since batik was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO in 2009, its reach continues to increase. Kalla opined that as batik has become part of both official and casual clothing, there are challenges, as well, in terms of productivity and innovation. According to the vice president, batik has been transformed from a form of traditional art into a masterpiece of global standard. It is also one of the cultural products of Indonesia that people are proud of and want to preserve. Therefore, Kalla emphasized that the Gelar Batik Nusantara 2015 exhibition is expected to be able to open market opportunities and attract entrepreneurs, investors and institutions to develop batik as an international product. Moreover, Spokesperson for the Organizing Committee Ratna Joko Suyanto said that this year, the Indonesian Batik Foundation was featuring coastal batik works of some 300 batik artisans participating in the exhibition. "Gelar Batik Nusantara 2015, which is a biennial event, presents a different theme, and all regions throughout Indonesia are participating in it. It means that we display works from across Indonesia alternately. This year, we are displaying coastal motifs but from all over Indonesia as a whole," Suyanto remarked. She expressed hope that the exhibition, which has been organized since 1996, continues to increase batik production and encourage people to love it. The wife of Indonesia's sixth president, Ani Yudhoyono, is also participating in this event. She will display her batik collection, she affirmed. At the same occasion, Head of the Organizing Committee Edith Ratna Soerjosoejarso pointed out that the batik works on display were the latest collection of batik artisans, who had been preparing for the event for two years. Soerjosoejarso expressed hope that the event will promote the batik works and the artisans both. Batik clothing is now used worldwide, thanks to the persistent efforts of the government to make it the formal attire of leaders at various international meetings held in Indonesia, such as APEC and the Asian-African Conference held recently. Therefore, rural areas can work on creative business opportunities by developing the batik industry. It is required even more as regions across the country have had batik traditions since time immemorial. The villages of Trusmi and Ciwaringin in Cirebon, West Java, are among the successful batik creative industrial centers of the country that remain in existence even now. During his visit to Ciwaringin village recently, Rural, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Minister Marwan Jafar expressed hope for the handmade batik from the village to gain popularity abroad. "I think the handmade batik industry in Ciwaringin village can be turned into a village-owned enterprise," Jafar affirmed, adding that the batik market was expanding. The minister further noted that the government was very serious about protecting local products and that each village is expected to have a product that can serve as a decent leading commodity. According to Director General of National Export Development of the Indonesian Trade Ministry Nus Nuzulia Isaac, the United States was currently the most important export market for Indonesian batik, followed by South Korea, Japan, Germany, Britain and the Netherlands. He stated that the value of Indonesian batik exports had grown from US$22 million in 2010 to US$340 million in 2014, and in the first four months of 2015, the exports were worth US$81.8 million. The Indonesian Trade Ministry has high hopes for batik as it aims to see a 300 percent growth in value of batik exports over the next five years to US$1.5 billion.