Abu Dhabi: Mohammad Saleh, an Emirati in Abu Dhabi, has been a fan of batik since he saw it in the Indonesian city of Surakarta (colloquially Solo) during a business trip.
Batik, Indonesia's traditional art of dyeing cloth with the use of wax, was recognised by Unesco as an intangible cultural heritage last year.
"I realised the value of handmade designs after seeing batik; I came here to see any new variety [of designs] " Saleh, a marketing professional said at a charity bazaar at the Indonesian Embassy, organised yesterday by the embassy in cooperation with the Indonesian Women's Association.
He was speaking to his Indonesian friends in their language. "To market your product [as a marketing professional], you can speak any language," a smiling Saleh said in lighter vein about his Indonesian language skill.
Saleh was one among many non-Indonesians who attended a batik workshop by an expert at the event.
"To make a batik design on a two-metre cloth, we take six to eight months," Venny Afwani, the expert from Indonesia, told Gulf News. She has been travelling around the world to promote batik.
The proceeds from the annual charity bazaar which began last year, will go towards three causes, Indonesian Ambassador to the UAE M. Wahid Supriyadi told Gulf News.
These are the reconstruction of Padang town in West Sumatra which was destroyed in an earthquake last year ,a scholarship scheme under Indonesian Ladies Association in Jakarta and a school for special needs children in Abu Dhabi, he said.
"Apart from charity, the event is meant to give some lively moments with traditional food, handicrafts, art and cultural programmes for the residents in the capital," Supriyadi said.
