The Embroidered Story Cloths of Negara, Bali
Initially, I did not find the embroideries of Negara very appealing. To my taste, the threads were coarse, uneven and garish. I was comparing these textiles to the more elegant bebali textiles [...]
The Power of Nusa Penida and its Textiles
When looking at a map of Bali, my brother Darta always describes Bali’s shape as being like a chicken and that Nusa Penida is the egg. When I was young I feared the dark powers that came [...]
The Rain Cloths of Nggela, Flores
Threads of Life staff have been visiting the village of Ngella in central Flores for over a year, learning about the village’s textile traditions and searching for weavers to work with. Looking [...]
Young Weavers Take Up the Art of Weaving Natural Dyed Textiles
Visiting the weaving group Karya Sari Warna Alam in Seraya on East Bali is unlike visiting any other place for me. Every time I visit there is so much activity! Young women are busy weaving [...]
Sigit Wicaksono, An Indonesian-Chinese Batik Artist
Generally speaking there are two main categories of batik in Indonesia: batik kraton and batik pesisir. The kraton batik is rooted in the traditional culture around the Kratons (Sultans palaces) [...]
The Magnetism of Traditional Textiles in Lombok
I first visited the weaving centers of Pringgasela and Sukarara on Lombok in 2004. At that time most of the products being produced were the brightly colored synthetic dyed, supplementary weft [...]