ABOUT ISLAND BATIK

Established in 1997, Island Batik is a manufacturer and distributor of cotton and rayon Batik and hand painted panels from Indonesia. The art of batik has been practiced for centuries in Indonesia and is an integral part of ethnic life and religious ceremony. This intimate knowledge of the batik process is what makes the Indonesian artists talented leaders in their field. Batik is a way of life and culture for the Indonesian people.

All of the fabric dying is done in a private manufacturing facility in Bali, which is centered in a small village. Management of the plant as well as all of the production processes are performed by men and woman of the community. Island Batik currently employs 50 to 70 community members who transform the white fabric into the spectacular designs and colors for which the company is known. The men perform the dying, stamping wax on to the fabric, washing and drying. The fabric is left out in the rice fields; where good sunlight is essential to ensure strong color and color fastness. The women do the quality checking, folding, bolting and packaging of the cloth.

 

The cotton and rayon batik is rolled by hand on cardboard bolts which are manufactured by families in the surrounding district. Originally, the fabric boards made in Los Angeles were sent to Bali which was an expensive process.

Community members were included in discussions to develop a new fabric board utilizing local raw materials.  The talented craftsmen rose to the challenge and within a few days presented an acceptable prototype which is now a new industry in the village.

The philosophy of Island Batik has always been to ensure the success, enrichment and development of the community they are part of.  Some of the ways this is accomplished is by computer skills training, donations to neighborhood functions and ceremonies as well as sponsoring the community volleyball team.  These efforts result in a constant uplifting of the people who partner with Island Batik in production.   Because of the employment many people have been able to build new homes and improve community areas for the benefit of all.