FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR NOW I’ve been gazing at a monstera. Also known as the Swiss cheese plant, it’s native to the tropical forests of southern Mexico and Panama but is commonly found indoors in homes all over the world. This particular monstera is vividly coming to life before my eyes; dark forest green with lime tinges and golden-yellow ends. I dip an elongated stick of cotton wool into water and then dab at the fabric dye, gently tracing between the wax outline of the artwork to saturate the leaves. I’m at a private batik class with local artist Gede and his protege Ketut at Maya Ubud Resort & Spa in Bali. It’s not supposed to be therapy, but the 90 minutes I spend with him learning this craft has a powerful impact on me.
“This is Balinese batik painting, not traditional,” says Gede. The artform is widespread across Southeast Asia but originated in Java in Indonesia and is a process of producing patterns by using wax and fabric dyes to create designs. “It underwent a modification when it came to Bali,” says Gede. The colors and motifs are more vibrant and diverse to reflect the culture and natural environment.
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Photos by Jenny Hewett
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On arrival, I choose from a stash of stencils that Gede has drawn and trace over it with a pencil on a piece of white cloth. “You’re so fast,” says Gede. As has become habit in my life, my instinct is to rush. But with Gede sitting opposite me, there’s space for conservation and reflection; the master teaching the student.
Gede is a second-generation artist, having learned batik from his father. He didn’t go to art school—everything he knows has been passed down to him. Today, he makes large-scale pieces at his studio close to the resort. “Batik is nice for relax,” he says as he calmly sits across from me in a sarong and traditional Balinese udeng head-cloth. He’s not wrong. According to The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, making art can reduce depression and anxiety, increase serotonin release in the brain, foster new ways of thinking, and help you imagine a more hopeful future. In a world as fast paced as my own, it’s also a lesson in slowing down, opening up and allowing time for connection.
Next comes the tricky part. We move outside into the garden and Gede demonstrates how to use a tjanting tool to draw the hot wax outline on the cloth. Once it’s almost finished, he lets me take over. “It takes six months to get good at it,” says Gede. “Keep your hand straight and up.”
The final part of our batik class is where the creativity comes in, and Gede shows me how to delicately blend the colors and dab them onto the fabric. We spend 45 minutes here as I paint, discussing life and taking in each of our perspectives and experiences. The stencil transforms into a monstera rendered in traditional Balinese hues—an authentic-looking memento of my stay and a reminder to myself to occasionally stop and take a breath.
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Images courtesy of Maya Ubud Resort & Spa, unless otherwise noted.
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