Wayan Arta and Sharon

Batik apparel and accessories in Bali and Java

"Contributing to the continuation of our batik heritage is a great honor for me, and I hope that one day I can teach this art to my son."

My name is Wayan Arta, and I started working in apparel as a seamstress for an American company. I worked there from 1988 to 1993. During that time, I was promoted to being a pattern maker. I became knowledgeable about production methods, working directly on catalog and large retailer orders.

Using my experiences in this American company gave me the opportunity to work with Sharon Steinmann. Sharon is an American who handled and designed products for major women's catalogs. Together, we created designs and started production on special patterns. We specialize in batik — primarily ancient batik — which is a beautiful, but dying art from Indonesia. Sharon decides on our motifs and designs the apparel, while I am look fter crafting our designs. We have worked together since 2008.

We chose this kind of batik because I wanted to continue our batik heritage. This art is centuries old, involving traditional techniques native to the islands of Bali and Java. It is an entirely handmade process that requires special skill and extraordinary patience. Originally, batik motifs were religious in nature, but now it features more mandala or botanical themes. The process is becoming rare due to its difficulty and the hand-painted aspects of making the fabric.

To fill our orders, we have eight assistants in our workshop. I'm the production manager. I supervise the pattern makers, cutters, sewers and also do quality control. We are lucky to have employed seven locals who have been working with us for a long time.

Contributing to the continuation of our batik heritage is a great honor for me, and I hope that one day I can teach this art to my son. Thanks to God, this textile art has helped me provide a decent life for my family. I can also help my children get a good education and go to college. I don't yet know if all of my children will take up this craft but I hope my son will continue my work.

Making apparel isn't hard to do in Bali, because the rayon fabric is all sourced here. All the materials and supplies that we use are produced locally. We are proud of our crafts, because we are among the few people in the world that create this type of batik. Another reason that our designs are great is because our fabrics feature a deep saturation of colors.

By working with you, I hope we can continue to grow and build a project that is profitable and supports local artisans and traditional batik methods. I also want to introduce ancient batik motifs to the world. I am sure the world will like them.

Cause Badges

Preserving Traditions

15 items by Wayan Arta and Sharon

Customer Reviews

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Marialyce

Verified Reviewer

01/04/2021

"Beautiful, but shrinks"

I bought 2 of these beautiful tunics. Theyre just gorgeous. Colors are gorgeous too! However, when washed, they shrink a LOT. I followed all instructions... washed them by hand and even used a special soap for silks and similar. Dried flat. I cant wear these tops after washing them... theyre way too small now. Washing also changed the texture of the material. If you buy one of these, buy it 1 or even 2 sizes too large so that you can wash it and still wear it. If someone else has better ideas about washing, please let me know!

Purchased Item:

Balinese Waters, Blue and Purple Batik Rayon Tunic from Bali

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Catherine

Verified Reviewer

11/01/2020

"Lovely warm weather top!"

This is a lovely & comfortable top for warmer weather. The medium size fits my UK size 12 frame perfectly, & the points of the hem reach the mid thigh on me - Im 5 foot 4 inches tall. Its slightly fitted in shape but loose enough to skim nicely over any lumps & bumps, the flowing style will keep me cool, & l especially like the three-quarter length sleeves. I havent worn it to go out yet as its too cold here right now, but I look forward to showing it off when spring comes around, & I think it would be great for travelling in. The colours are a little more muted than they appear in the photos, but its still very pretty!

Purchased Item:

Balinese Waters, Blue and Purple Batik Rayon Tunic from Bali

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Nading

Verified Reviewer

09/14/2020

"Beautiful, Comfortable and elegant tunic"

I get so many compliments when I wear this flowy, exotic looking top. Comfortable casual wear yet makes you feel dressed up. The size runs small so get one size up. This will be my go-to summer wear.

Purchased Item:

Balinese Waters, Blue and Purple Batik Rayon Tunic from Bali