CHARACTER, IDENTITY THE WAY FORWARD
To stay in business, batik designers need to come up with unique designs that are appealing to customers, writes TEH ATHIRA YUSOF
LOCAL batik creators need to create their own identity to remain relevant in the competitive market. This is the view of Piala Seri Endon competition winners, who feel that by having their own character and style, local players can design batik products that appeal to local and international customers.
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan textile design lecturer Hafiz Drahman, 34, said every batik designer should do extensive research to come up with designs that are unique and appealing.
“By having quality designs that reflect the traditional identity, we can create a sustainable local batik industry that has global appeal,” said the secondplace winner in the 2018 edition.
According to Hafiz, his win is the first after nine years of competing in the annual batik award show.
He said his winning entry was themed “Perisai Tradisi” (Traditional Armour), influenced by Sarawak’s identity.
“I was inspired by the Sarawak traditional Kuih Lempuk Durian, a favourite treat of mine when I was young.
“It’s also one way of informing the young generation who might not know about the kuih.
“That was the reason why I used it as a subject matter in the competition.
“The Perisai in the theme was to honour my late brother, who also loved the kuih, while the cool colours described our feelings when eating the kuih.
“By using this theme, I hope to start a revolution in the local batik industry.”
He said his designs often include motifs, such as plants and traditional patterns from Sarawak, not only to showcase his paternal heritage, but also as an ode to the state.
Hafiz, who is pursuing his PhD in integrated design which focuses on sustaining the batik block industry, said one of the challenges for the local batik industry is its sustainability.
“The rising cost of raw materials is a factor, which has forced players to sell at a certain price to remain in business.
“Another challenge is competition from foreign and international labels, which sometimes offer more choices to customers.
“It’s increasingly difficult to sustain the business unless you have something unique and compelling to offer.”
For Kamaliah Ismail Zain, 62, who won last year’s Piala Seri Endon, passion is important as she believes it allows one’s designs to stand out.
“Understanding how colours and design play a role is important in batik creations.
“Similar to fashion design, you need to work with many elements.”
Kamaliah, who won the award with her two children — Ihsan, 30, and Khalida Liyana Khalid, 23 — said she was influenced by a loved one to create batik.
“I have always been interested in the fine arts, especially batik.
“My late father, Ismail Zain, was one of Malaysia’s most outstanding and talented artists.
“I was influenced by his works and used his abstract and graphics in my batik designs,” she said, adding that her son does block printing, while her daughter is an illustrator.
She said her win in the Piala Seri Endon was her second, after coming out on top in 2015 in the Soft Furnishing category.
She said the win had boosted her confidence in making batik.
“The Piala Seri Endon opened the door to a ready clientele and government agencies.
“Batik creators will also get help to market their products.”
She said apart from passion, it is important that batik players come up with designs that appeal to customers, especially the younger generation.
On her part, she said the chal-