JABAR EKSPRES – Indonesian batik designed by Iwan Tirta was donated to add to the Indonesian art and culture collection at the National Gallery Sofia, Bulgaria.
The batik donation as a form of cultural diplomacy is one of a series of supporting events in the big concert performance of the Indonesian Embassy in Sofia entitled “Harmonature: Harmonizing the Nature of Nusantara” at the Ancient Theater Plovdiv.
The Iwan Tirta batik exhibited in a special corner dedicated by the National Gallery Sofia to Indonesian art and culture is expected to increase the Bulgarian public’s knowledge of Indonesian traditions and their application in today’s modern society.
“Cross-cultural understanding is very important in deepening the friendship between Indonesia and Bulgaria. This understanding starts with the right and interesting information,” Indonesian Ambassador to Bulgaria Iwan Bogananta said when delivering remarks at the batik donation ceremony in Sofia on Friday (9/6).
“In this case, the Indonesian Embassy facilitates the donation of Iwan Tirta Batik to the National Gallery in Sofia so that more and more people in Bulgaria will understand the intangible heritage of Indonesia that has been recognized by UNESCO,” Mr Bogananta said in a written statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Sofia.
Iwan Tirta is one of Indonesia’s proud batik maestros who played a role in introducing Indonesian batik to the world.
On this occasion, Iwan Tirta Private Collection donated batik with Bangun Tulak Puspawarni Prada motif after a discussion process between Nusantara wastra curator Sri Sintasari (Neneng) Iskandar, the Indonesian Embassy in Sofia, and senior curators of the National Gallery in Sofia.
The Bangun Tulak Puspawarni fabric was created in 2015 and originally intended as a table mat during formal dinners, with a special prada process added for the National Gallery in Sofia.
The gold ink in the prada process is applied using canting, making this historic batik appear more luxurious.
