Contemporary Batang Batik with Gringsing Roban Motif

Contemporary Batang Batik with Gringsing Roban (Gringsing Zig-zag) motif - exploring simple designs for human resource regeneration of batik makers

The low interest of young Indonesians, including those in Batang, in pursuing the profession of batik maker/batik artist is due to several factors, including:

(1) The wages for batik work are less attractive. They are far below the average income in the modern industrial and trade sectors. For example: The real wage for batik makers is estimated to be below IDR 2 million/month. Compare this with the Regency/City Minimum Wage in batik centers. For example: The 2025 Batang Regency Minimum Wage is IDR 2,534,383.

(2) The impression that batik work lacks prestige. Batik is considered an occupation of "old people" and "old people."

(3) There is no consistent program designed to pioneer and mentor batik groups specifically for the younger generation in a timeframe that will enable them to sustainably launch their businesses in the future. Note: This youth batik group is crucial for initiating daily collaborations between young people and older batik makers.

(4) Efforts to develop batik designs for young people have not been implemented systematically and intensively. New designs for young people are still being developed haphazardly, inconsistently, and insufficiently supported by the government and relevant parties involved in the preservation and development of Indonesian batik.

Regarding the very slow regeneration of batik makers in Batang Regency, attached are examples of simple (non-professional) batik designs drawn several years ago to facilitate young people in creating classic Batang batik—for example, sogan/inland batik with the Gringsing-Gringsing motif.

Single-sided hand-drawn batik, primisima cotton fabric, full dip dyeing, synthetic naphthol dye.

Motif: Gringsing isen-isen and zigzag lines resembling a road in the Alas Roban forest area, Gringsing District, Batang Regency.

Colors: black and white or dark blue and white. Brown/soga is being disregarded for now.

The original colors and motifs of Gringsing Batang sogan batik will be reused in their entirety once young people become comfortable with batik.

A simple design to help train young people in creating classic Batang batik motifs more comfortably, easily, and enjoyably.

Batik work by Ms. Surati, 2017 (one of two remaining senior batik makers of Batangan sogan batik still actively working).

Note:

This design is just an idea and the result of initial experiments. It has not yet been implemented. In the future, we will strive to develop batik designs for young people in Batang.