Batik Painting in Kuala Terengganu
Deutsche Version
Kuala Terengganu - A city off the beaten tourist tracks
Kuala Terengganu (KT) is a city in the state of Terengganu located on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, facing the South Chinese Sea. When I travelled to the Perhentian Islands, I flew back to Kuala Lumpur via Kuala Terengganu. Therefore I spent a few days in the city before heading back home to Switzerland, visiting Pasar Payang - the central market in KT - and Chinatown. Kuala Terengganu is a lesser visited part of Malaysia and most tourists just pass through the city when heading to Pulau Redang or - like me - coming from the Perhentians. I only saw one foreign family (probably Dutch) when shopping at Pasar Payang. Other than that, I was the only white person far and wide. This is a very conservative area of Malaysia, where alcohol is prohibited for Muslims by the law and wearing bikinigs at the beach is highly frowned upon. However, I had a great time in Kuala Terengganu, eat some great food, walked along the beach and bought some fabric at Pasar Payang to sew pillow cases for my balcony and sustainable shopping bags. If you are looking to travel off the beaten tourist tracks, then this is your place to go.
The gate to Chinatown in Kuala Terengganu.
Batik painting - A dyeing technique using wax resist
Pasar Payang is the central market of Kuala Terengganu where they sell batik as well as fruit, spices, fish, meat and much more.
Since I always bring back home souvenirs from my travels and I love crafting, I was trying to find a spot where I could craft something. I found my place at Noor Arfa Craft Complex in Kuala Terengganu. Noor Arfa Craft Complex is not only a shop where exquisite garments and batik are sold but also a place to learn about and watch the process of batik painting and making.
Batik is a dyeing technique using wax resist. Batik is made by drawing or stamping wax on a cloth to prevent color absorption during the dyeing process. This creates a patterned negative when the wax is removed from the dyed cloth. The technique developed in Indonesia but is practiced in many other countries such as Malaysia, India or Sri Lanka. The east coast of Peninsular Malaysia is famous for its batik. The method of Malaysian batik making is different from those of Indonesian Javanese batik. The pattern is larger and simpler, it seldom or never uses a canting, a pen-like tool used to apply liquid hot wax to create intricate patterns. Malaysian batik painting relies heavily on the brush painting method to apply colours on fabrics. The colours also tend to be lighter and more vibrant than the deep coloured Javanese batik.
Batik painting at Noor Arfa Craft Complex
Coloring my second batik painting at Noor Arfa Craft Complex. I outlined the pattern with the canting, a pen-like tool to apply hot liquid wax to the canvas, and then colored the painting to my liking.
I love painting batik, having done so when I was travelling through Java (Indonesia), both in Yogyakarta and Malang. At Noor Arfa, they offered T-Shirt painting, so I was opting for that but the day I went there, they ran out of t-shirts, so I ended painting not just one but two batik paintings, using the canting like I did in Yogyakarta and Malang. I could pick my fabric size. There was a file with patterns to copy from onto my cotton fabric but I perfer to draw freely what I like. The supervisor at Noor Arfa showed me how to hold and handle the canting but soon realized that it was not my first time making batik. There were several visitors watching me create my batik and taking pictures and videos. I think they were surprised that a white person was making batik. There were many locals visiting Noor Arfa Craft Complex due to a school holiday. I had lovely chats with kids, teenagers and their families.
When I was done with the wax outlines on my canvas, I could move to the entrance where I colored my batik. There were many kids just coloring pre-made batik kits. Handling the canting and using the hot wax takes skills and care. Spilling the hot wax can lead to painful burns. Therefore kids can use pre-made batik paintings and just color them.
Because I had so much fun, I asked for a second one and so I went back using the canting again. I ended up with two lovely batik paintings and a lot of cool memories.
Contact Noor Arfa Craft Complex
If you want to paint batik at Noor Araf, just reach out to them for prices and availability by WhatsApp. Their number is +60 11-5751-7656. I got an automated respons in Malaysian but their staff speak English.
After painting my batik, I visited the showrooms and the shop and bought a lovely little batik dress for niece.
More things to do around Terengganu
The Perhentian Islands are located in the Malaysian State of Terengganu. These islands are great for snorkeling, diving, hiking, kayaking or realxing.