Jakarta. When a large fire ravaged Pasar Klewer, a famous textile market in Solo, Central Java, last December many batik craftspeople in the city were left with their incomes and businesses destroyed.
“My little sibling got in touch with a batik community from Sukoharjo, Central Java, and the situation made it hard for them to sell their creations,” says Sofie Syarief.
Inspired to help these people, Sofie, a television news journalist, joined forces with Farah Dompas, her friend who works at a big data analytics company in Jakarta and they established Batik Truntum.
Named after a classic Javanese batik motif, Truntum markets a selected range of hand-painted batik fabrics — also popularly known as batik tulis — sourced directly from craftspeople in Central Java.
Sofie, whose family comes from Solo, admits that she has always had a soft spot for batik. Farah, who grew up in Kalimantan, became interested to learn about the craft “after knowing that each motif has its own philosophy and fable.”
“Currently, we are working together with two batik communities in Sukoharjo,” explains Sofie.
To reach a wider audience, they first eschewed the idea of opening a brick-and-mortar store and went straight online to establish their brand. Their first destination? Instagram.
“Instagram is the easiest platform to showcase our batik. When people no longer question the fabric quality, they want to see the beauty of each batik motif, and we think Instagram fits this purpose perfectly,” explains Sofie, adding that a website is currently in the works.
They debuted their account @truntum around four months ago with a colorful fabric in Kepyur Burung Hong motif, which depicts birds and floral elements in its design.
Since then, each post provides a close-up shot that reveals the intricate details of the featured batik fabric. Not only that, prospective customers can also find out the name of the motif, its natural coloring material as well as the batik technique used.
If they are interested to buy, they can use the reference code to order via email or mobile messaging apps, like LINE or WhatsApp
A recently posted fabric by Truntum features a motif called Kembangan Latar Ijo, which juxtaposes a bright green background with vibrant shapes inspired by nature.
Meanwhile, the Hokokai Biru fabric conjures floral motif with very tiny details, making it akin to a pointillist painting.
Those with a more contemporary sensibility might opt for Parang Godhong Indigo — which revamps the traditional Parang motif in blue and white — or the monochromatic butterfly motif called Poleng Kupu Ireng.
Despite existing online, Farah emphasizes that Truntum is more than just an online shop.
“There is an emotional connection between Truntum and the batik communities we are working with. We know where each fabric originates from, what materials are used, and the complexity of its process,” she says, recounting a sad moment when the craftspeople told them that their almost-finished batik fabrics were stolen.
Promoting hand-painted batik
Through Truntum, both Sofie and Farah aim to re-introduce original hand-painted batik fabrics, amid cheaper yet low-quality printed batik that increasingly dominates the market.
“We want to market hand-painted fabric at a more affordable price, so there will be no more reason for people around us to wear printed batik,” notes Sofie.
Truntum’s price point — each fabric ranges from around Rp 600,000 ($45) up to Rp 1.25 million — is determined by the craftspeople themselves.
“They really deserve to be appreciated, so aside from helping them get sustainable income, we plan to create a give-back program for these communities,” says Fara
Besides, it is also part of their strategy to reach younger customers who just started appreciating this craft. “Sometimes they will think twice before purchasing expensive premium batik fabrics. So we offer high-quality batik at this price to make them more familiar with batik tulis,” adds Sofie.
At this early stage, Truntum usually sells around 15 batik fabrics per month, mainly due to the long and complicated process that a craftsperson must undergo to finish one. One fabric can take about two to four months to finish, depending on the complexity of its motif and colors.
“We don’t have any specific criteria in our selection process, but each fabric has to be painted neatly. The color combination should also be beautiful, no matter the motif,” says Sofie. She usually spends her Sunday selecting the batik to sell on Truntum with Farah
So far, both founders have been seeing many positive reactions from Truntum customers.
“Through Truntum, we can have a platform to express our love for batik as well as educate our customers about the value of batik fabrics,” Sofie enthuses.
“It is very thrilling when we can make people aware of the high artistic value on a batik fabric. This way, they can appreciate the process behind traditional batik and stop buying printed batik.”
“We sometimes ‘evaluate’ our own customers as well,” adds Farah. “If a batik fabric they are interested in does not suit their personality and taste, we will frankly tell them and offer another option.”
The immaculate craftsmanship reflected in Truntum’s batik is not one to doubt about. Recently, one of their customers asked a famous Indonesian designer to turn a fabric she bought from Truntum into a clothing piece.
“The designer praised the quality of our batik, and we were very happy! I cannot imagine how thrilled our craftspeople will be when we tell them about this,” exclaims Farah.
Asked about their next plan, they say one of their long-term visions is to have their own batik house in order to work with these batik craftspeople exclusively.
“We want Truntum to become a hub for traditional textile makers one day,” says Farah.
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Batik Truntum
For more information, check out @truntum on Instagram.
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