You may have heard about batik, traditional Indonesian cloth that UNESCO recently declared as an intangible cultural asset of humanity. Its beauty transcends national borders and even world leaders such as Nelson Mandela are fond of batik. However, how many of you truly understand the meaning and history of batik?

 

This question hit me when I asked myself, how would you appreciate batik’s beauty and colorful history if you could not access batik’s story easily? Even Indonesians find it hard to get in-depth information about batik.

 

Answering the calling to spread knowledge about batik to the broader audience, I decided to establish House of Pillar. This institution aims to be the pillar in a collective effort to document and exhibit valuable Indonesian batik clothes across the world to global citizens.

 

I believe establishing a database of batik is important because a lot of precious batik cloths in history are kept by foreign collectors and museums, out of most Indonesians' touch. In its golden age, batik was considered even more valuable than gold. Dutch colonizers brought home batik made in the East Indies, which became circulated among private institutions and very rarely seen in public. Very few individuals know that several museums outside of Indonesia collect batik with high cultural value.

 

Parallel with the continuous efforts in compiling batik collection databases, I want everyone to be able to access the database through the internet. This will equalize access of information for the public, as currently most knowledge about batik is stored in rare and expensive books. Museums and arts spaces around the world can utilize this access to preview batik collections from other institutions, using the database as a means to connect with each other.

 

Preserving batik cloths is also crucial, as it will enable future generations to appreciate batik. I dream of savvy youths who compete with each other by collecting historical batik cloths instead of run-of-the-mill luxury brand products. International institutions have been appreciating these clothes, so it's about time for more people to do so. Exhibiting Indonesian batik abroad will hopefully stimulate and educate people to sustain the love for batik in each generation. As more people get involved in the process, this will pave the way for future discussions and research about batik.

 

Based in Philadelphia, House of Pillar collaborate and supported by batik collectors, curators, scholars, researchers and dealers as well ,as a network of museum and arts spaces. Together we could do more..

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                                                                                         Lilian Christaka

                                                                                   CEO and Founder of House of Pillar

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