Laweyan Batik Artists Plan to Raise Centini's Fiber in His Work

SOLO, Various creativity are always carried out by batik craftsmen in Kampung Batik Laweyan, as an effort to continue to exist in their work.

And one of the amazing creations is the creation of the Al Quran in the form of batik creations by one of the craftsmen.

It is Alpha Febela Priyatmono, the person who has the idea to make this batik Quran creation. Which he calls part of his and the community's learning regarding religious teachings.

Alpha also said that the batik Quran was inspired by a follow the line Quran made by a friend of his cleric, who reads it using a pencil.

"The way to read the Quran is to thicken the existing writing. So apart from reading, we also write automatically. From there, the thought occurred to make a handwritten Quran using the batik method," explained Alpha when met at his home, in the Kampung Batik Laweyan area, Solo.

He started making this Quran on a sheet of cloth measuring 80 cm X 50 cm, which was decorated with various batik motifs on each side.

“By creating this Quran, it will at least encourage the batik maker himself to read it. Because at the time of making, he will automatically read every letter that exists," continued Alpha.

Alpha himself has been known as a batik artist, who often creates various artistic creations that are associated with various phenomena and events that are happening in society.

Yes, in addition to making a breakthrough by creating a batik Quran, the owner of the Batik Mahkota Laweyan gallery also regularly creates works in the form of tens of meters long batik beber puppets.

Various themes have been raised in the form of wayang beber paintings. Which, according to him, is part of his artistic expression as well as efforts to preserve the art of batik itself.

"Batik is an art inherited from our ancestors that must be preserved. Therefore, we cannot only see it from a commercial perspective. There must still be conservation efforts behind the economic aspect," said the Chairman of the Kampoeng Batik Laweyan Development Forum.

Regarding wayang works, he explained, currently Alpha is trying to create a storyline about the history of the nation's struggle, featuring hero figures from various regions in Indonesia.

Some of his finished works are seen showing the figure of Sultan Agung with a series of stories of his resistance to the Dutch colonialists.

Then there is also Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa from Banten who is also made in a series of stories, which are drawn on cloth about 10 meters long.

"Currently, apart from Sultan Agung and Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa, there is also a story about the proclamation of independence featuring the proclaimers Sukarno - Hatta. And there is also the incident on November 10 with the central figure Bung Tomo," he explained.

Because it is a collectable item and made with the spirit of preservation, the wayang beber works are intentionally not sold. However, many parties invited him to display these works in various exhibition events.

"Currently wayang beber has become one of the more forgotten wayang arts. That's why I thought of making it in the form of batik. I hope that the public can still see this work of art. And can provide education related to various historical stories. interesting and easier to understand when translated through the form of contemporary wayang beber," he explained.

Now in the midst of his efforts to continue to add hero figures to be described in wayang beber, Alpha also plans to make a Javanese book in the form of batik.

He said there are many guidelines that can be taken from several Javanese books, including those related to batik. Therefore he wanted to make it, like the form of the Quran batik.

"In the future, I plan to make a book written in Javanese letters that I took from pieces of Centini fiber and several other fibers. That way later people will know more about that our ancestors also had books that became guidelines on certain things. One of them is related to the process. batik making," he concluded.

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