Article batik motif mangrove from KOMPAS

Mangrove Batik, Eco-batik from Surabaya

| 6 November 2009 | 05:30

Lulut Sri Yuliani and Mangrove batik (Kompas/Nina Susilo)

On October 2, 2009, Indonesian rejoiced from the UNESCO’s acknowledgment on Indonesian batik as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. As addition to this designation, UNESCO insisted that Indonesia preserve their heritage. While Indonesian fashion designers compete in creating batik trends, an environmentalist from Surabaya preserves batik by promoting new, eco-friendly batik.

She is Lulut Sri Yuliani, an eco-activist who concerns on preservation of mangrove forest and the community living around it. Starting from her dream of making her own garden look greener, mother of Nadia Chrissanty Halim was appointed chairperson of Environment Care Forum of Rungkut Sub-district, Surabaya.

After an intimate introduction with mangrove, she began to look after the best solution for preserving mangrove as well as creating its sustainable community. The first solution was Sirvega, liquid soap made of Toga mangrove. She claimed that the soap specially made for washing batik cloths is eco-friendly as made of mangrove from species Jijibus jujuba and two other plant species.

Eventually, mangrove forest gives her brilliant ideas. As former art teacher, she applied her artistry into her latest concern to create Mangrove batik. Leaves, flower, fruit, and other parts of mangrove tree as well as organisms living on the environment become her main inspiration. The result, there are 44 pattern designs of mangrove batik she has created this year.

Each pattern is specifically titled according to both local and latin names of mangrove species it resembled. Pattern of Tanjang putih, for example, is depicting mangrove growth that resembles the species Bruguiera cylindrica of the family Rhizophoraceae. In Mange kasihan pattern, a tree featuring the species Aegicera floridum from the family Myrsinaceae is delicately design with figures of crab, fish, dan shrimph as its decorations.

Apart from the pattern, This new batik style also uses various parts of mangrove tree on its process of production. In coloring process, a mixture made of fruit and flower of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza is used to create red. Shade of yellow is taken from mixture of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) and Calophyllum inophyllum, locally called nyamplung.

As a handmade and eco-friendly art, Mangrove batik has its own exclusive value. Developed within a society with very fluid, flexible art value, each piece of mangrove batik has its own perfection as well as human flaw. Each of 60 batik artists on the society work freely in applying patterns and their combinations. The most important value lies on its eco-friendly processing method. What makes it more special is that it takes a month to make a piece of mangrove batik, three weeks longer than chemically processed batik.

Source: KOMPAS