Batik workshop
Children can learn how to create batik textiles at Ilham Gallery in Kuala Lumpur.
YOU can enjoy the upcoming school holidays with a series of kids’ activities at Ilham Gallery in Kuala Lumpur.
If you want to learn how batik is made, sign up for a batik workshop on March 16.
Open to children between the ages of 11 and 15, the three- hour workshop will demonstrate batik- making using basic methods and easy- to- use materials. It will be conducted by Teja Art Consultancy’s Nizreen Osman.
Batik is a fabric created using a special wax- resist dyeing technique. The origins of batik date back to the 13th century and it is produced in many other Asian countries such as Indonesia, India and the Philippines.
Ilham curator Rahel Joseph said the workshop gives children a chance to develop their creativity, while learning the art of batik- making. “Children will have an opportunity to discover the artist in them as they are given a free hand to explore their individuality and make their own batik.”
The batik workshop will be held in conjunction with Ilham Gallery’s batik art exhibition Love Me In My Batik: Modern Batik Art From Malaysia And Beyond. The exhibition which runs until June 15, looks at how the medium was embraced and reinvented by generations of artists from the 1950s till the present day.
Rahel said through the exhibition, children can learn about batik art, a traditional craft that is imbued with history and culture.
“It is important to learn about batik as it is closely tied to Malaysia’s cultural history and it has a place in the art of Southeast Asia. Love Me In My Batik showcases a batik painting, the development of the batik process, and the work of certain artists who have transformed batik from a craft to a fine art form.”
There’s also the Art Discovery tour for children between the ages of three and five. Rahel said the one- and- a- half- hour tours are designed to give young children a chance to engage with art, interpret ideas and create their own artworks in a facilitated environment. Tours take place on March 15 and 16 ( 10am).
“The tours are an integral part of Ilham’s mission to cultivate art appreciation in young children, and to give them the confidence to talk about art – what they like and don’t like, and why. The tours are a way of encouraging a generation to be interested in, and excited by art.” Ilham Gallery’s batik workshop will be held on March 16 ( 10am- 1pm) at Ilham Gallery, 8 Jalan Binjai in Kuala Lumpur. Fees: RM25. To register, e- mail info@ ilhamgalery. com For more details, go to www. ilhamgallery. com.