RSVP
Workshops and Activities
Batik, Ikat, and Beyond: Textile Demonstrations and Workshops
Free First Sunday; On-site at the museum.
Demonstrations, workshops, and readings celebrate the weaving traditions of Indonesia and the Philippines.
Tickets for the Ilokano Weaving Workshop are sold out, but you can reserve a general admission ticket to view the other demonstrations throughout the day.
In conjunction with the special exhibition Weaving Stories, we invite you delve into the world of textile art from Indonesia and the Philippines. Watch artists demonstrate their skills in batik, ikat, and Ilokano weaving techniques and listen to a reading of a new book that centers on the rich ikat tradition on the island of Savu in Indonesia. And a limited number of participants will have the opportunity to try their hand at Ilokano weaving in workshops with weaver Rachel Lozada (preregistration required).
Demonstration: Ikats from Indonesia and the Philippines
11 AM–1 PM and 2–4 PM
Sandra Sardjono and Christopher Buckley share how traditional ikat textiles from Indonesia and the Philippines are produced, including the selection of materials, steps in dyeing, and the weaving process. Get a close-up of ikat textiles from both regions as well as backstrap looms.
Book Reading: “Mea and the Palm Flowers”
11:15 AM and 2:15 PM
“Mea and the Palm Flowers” tells the story of little girl who lives on the island of Savu in Indonesia as she learns the importance of her family ikat patterns. The book was created by Tracing Patterns Foundation in collaboration with Ice Dara, a Savunese weaver from the Tewuni Rai Woman’s Weavers Cooperative in Savu, and anthropologist Geneviève Duggan. The book will be for sale in the Cha May Ching Museum Boutique; half of all proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the weavers in Savu.
Workshops: Ilokano Weaving (tickets sold out)
12–2 PM and 3–5 PM
Professional weaver Rachel Lozada leads workshops on the basics of traditional Ilokano weaving. Each participant will get a take-home mini loom kit. Those unable to join will be able to watch the workshop. Space is limited; preregistration required.
Demonstration: Batik with Nia Fliam and Agus Ismoyo
1–2 PM and 3–4 PM
Ismoyo and Nia provide a brief introduction to the ancient Indonesian medium of batik, demonstrate the hand-batiking process, and explain the symbolic meaning behind traditional Javanese batiks. You will also have the opportunity to try your hand at batik by apply wax to paper with a copper or wooden stamp.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Sandra Sardjono is the founder and president of the Tracing Patterns Foundation, a nonprofit cultural organization based in Berkeley. The organization promotes textile studies and indigenous scholarships through international collaborations. Sardjono is also an independent scholar and curator with a special interest in Indonesian textile history and weaving technology. She earned her doctorate in art history from the University of California, Berkeley.
Chris Buckley is a research associate of the Tracing Patterns Foundation and independent researcher in textile cultures and history. He was educated at Balliol College Oxford and at Wolfson College, Oxford, where he received his Ph.D. He has lived in China, Japan, and Hong Kong and has researched the weaving traditions of Southeast Asia extensively. He is a coauthor of “Textiles of Indonesia” (Prestel, 2021).
Rachel Lozada is a community-based arts worker and weaver who is committed to helping create a renaissance of Filipino weaving in the diaspora. Since 2013, Lozada has been conducting weaving demonstrations, workshops, and collaborative projects with various community and arts organizations. Most of these she did as an apprentice weaver with Kalingafornia Laga, the only Filipino –American weaving circle in the country.
Agus Ismoyo (Indonesian) and Nia Fliam (American) have been working collaboratively to produce contemporary textiles in their fine– art batik studio, Brahma Tirta Sari in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, since 1985. Ismoyo’s ancestors were batik makers in the court city of Solo in Java. He was trained in industrial management at the Industrial Academy (AKPRIND) in Yogyakarta. Fliam originally explored dye-resist techniques from Africa and Asia in the United States before going to Indonesia in 1983 to study traditional batik. She holds a fine arts degree from Pratt Institute in New York City.
Image: Batak weaver, North Sumatra, approx. 1925–1942. Collection Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen. Coll. No. 7082-nf-353-10-3
Organizers & Sponsors
Curated by Associate Curator of Southeast Asian Art Dr. Natasha Reichle.
Weaving Stories is organized by the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Presentation is made possible with the generous support of a gift in memory of Murni Soewardho Knoepfel; Walter Jared Frost and David Salman; and Tania and Michael Stepanian.
More to Explore
