All about Batik Bali

Batik Bali is probably one of the depictions of freedom of expression. Unlike the batik from Java or other areas, the pattern of the batik is not restricted to any kind of rules whatsoever. Most of the makers of batik from Bali freely pour their creativity into a cloth. That is the reason why most of the time the pattern of the cloth has this abstract feel that is quite hard to understand by people. On another side, that thing is what makes batik Bali such a unique batik. In this article, we are going to talk about this very unique Batik. If you are looking for that kind of information then you have come to the right place. Without further ado, let’s check this out.

A Brief History of Batik Bali

The history of the batik Bali industry started approximately in the year of 1970. Pande Ketut Krisna, a batik maker from Banjar Tegeha, Village Batubulan, Sukawati Gianyar, Province of Bali. At the beginning of it all, Ketut Krisna, the batik maker, used to use the manual process which is using the hand-made technique. People from Bali basically use Batik on some activities that have a correlation with cultural ceremonies or religious rituals. Usually, they tied the cloth on their waists or use it as an udeng – a square of cloth folded and tied around the head – which is the traditional headband of Bali.

The Characteristics of Batik Bali

Batik Bali has some unique characteristics that differentiates it from other batiks from different areas. Below are some characteristics of the Batik Bali:

• Pattern Size

Batik Bali has such a unique pattern that no other batiks have. The patterns have different sizes from one to another piece of cloth.

• The Type of Cloth

The unique batik Bali usually uses calico cloth. That type of cloth is a little bit heavy compared to other clothes used in the making of other batiks from other areas.

• The Mixture of Traditional and Modern Patterns

The pattern of batik Bali oftentimes mixes traditional with modern patterns, such as turtle, dragon, geese, and deer patterns. Those traditional patterns then mixed with a touch of modernity such as bright colors to create contrast. Moreover, wavy patterns usually used as the batik maker’s expression of freedom.

• Inspired by the Stories of Gods

Most batik Bali is inspired by the stories of gods. Those stories on batik Bali usually bring messages about living a life of harmony.