Batik

One of the ancient forms of handloom and fabric painting of India as well as of West Bengal is the Batik form of painting. The Batik of West Bengal and other parts of the country is actually a wax resist technique of fabric paintings. The Batik is used in sarees, kurtas, lungis, other clothes and home decors. The literal meaning of Batik is wax writing and not only India; it is also practiced in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan and some other South Asian countries. It is said that the art of Batik is more than two thousand years old.

The entire process of Batik is very time taking and need meticulous artistry. A fine sense of colors, designs and ideas is needed to master this art. The wax resist is first applied, which is then followed by dyeing and the de-waxing process is observed by careful cracking of the wax. The cracking images created on a cotton clothes are adored by art lovers and fashion freaks. The Batik has also found favor from the users for its longevity and durability. Different methods of Batik printing are: -

Splash method

Screen printing method

Hand painting by Kalamkari pen.

In West Bengal, Shantiniketan is the prime hub of the Batik Printing. Apart from the cracked line designs, religious icons, themes from tribal lives etc. are also depicted in the fabrics using the Batik form of printing.