Abu Dhabi: Thea Romana came to Indonesian Charity Bazaar on Saturday to give a demonstration on how to design batik but went back with a long list of non-Indonesians interested in learning the art.
Batik is an Indonesian traditional art of dyeing cloth using wax and is recognised by Unesco as an intangible cultural heritage in 2009. South African leader and peace icon Nelson Mandela’s love for colourful Batik shirts also shot it to global prominence.
The demonstration on batik was one of the cultural activities at the annual ‘Indonesian Charity Bazaar and Cultural Performances’ held at the premises of the Indonesian Embassy premises in Abu Dhabi. The event was organised by the Indonesian Women’s Association in Abu Dhabi in cooperation with the Indonesian Embassy.
Romana, an Abu Dhabi-based homemaker and batik artist, said a specially made pen to design batik with wax, called the ‘chanting’, was a hit with the crowds.
She said many non-Indonesian homemakers, especially westerners, had expressed their interest in joining batik classes.
Yudi Ariyanto, 39, an engineer who was manning a stall at the bazaar, said many visitors to the bazaar had purchased batik-designed clothes.
“A hand-made wooden toy from Bali island in Indonesia was another popular item,” he said.
The bazaar featured traditional Indonesian music, dance, folk songs, food and handicrafts.
The proceeds of the charity event will go to victims of natural calamities, according to the embassy. Many Indonesians were affected by the eruption of Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra, a flash flood in Manado, North Sulawesi, and a recent earthquake in Central Java.
Needy children and underprivileged families in Indonesia and Abu Dhabi will also benefit.
“More than one thousand people attended the event and many of them were non-Indonesian residents in the capital, who wanted to learn Indonesian culture and support the charitable activities,” Salman Al Farisi, the Indonesian Ambassador to the UAE, told Gulf News.
A musical performance headlined by Dwiki Dharmawan and Ita Purnamasari, musicians from Indonesia, was the major highlight of the event, the ambassador said.
There about 100,000 Indonesians in the UAE. About 20,000 of them live in Abu Dhabi with the rest in Dubai and other Northern Emirates.
