From Javanese tradition to global art

On the other hand, Jane Hendromartono (1924 to 1988, also called Oeij Djien Nio) was active at a time of great political and economic upheaval.

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FROM C1 BATIK COUTURE FOR A MODERN WORLD

The period was marked by the end of Dutch colonialism, the Japanese Occupation, the birth of the new Indonesian republic, changing tastes in fashion and the rise of modern national styles.

But Hendromartono made a name for herself as an artist and designer through her ability to respond to these changes.

Her earliest designs from the late 1940s catered to the tail-end of the Peranakan demand for luxury batik tulis. These were termed "Kudus style", named after the town in Java that originated this pointillist batik style. They had the highest dots per inch (DPI) among all batiks made at the time.

Hendromartono imbued her take on this style with elements drawn from Chinese culture.

But with the rise of a nationalistic style of batik promoted by President Sukarno in the 1950s and later President Suharto in the 1980s, Hendromartono changed her production.

With new legislation affecting Chinese Indonesians, she and her husband adopted the Indonesian name Hendromartono.

They also relinquished the three-generation atelier in their house in Pekalongan, embarking on collaborations with local Javanese producers.

Motifs drawn from courtly batiks and new national symbols were set against the bright hues of Pekalongan, a style favoured by modern Indonesian women wearing kebaya kutubaru (blouses with a decolletage flap) and batik kain panjang ("long cloth" in Bahasa Indonesia). It is a long skirt cloth wrapped around the body, rather than sewn as a tube for a sarong.

Giant flying phoenixes and small repeated motifs of Balinese temples were some of her contributions to this new aesthetic.

Some of her designs were also made as yardage for the burgeoning world of Indonesian couturiers.

Hendromartono developed designs based on her mother's and grandmother's work, found new foreign clients and established batik businesses in Europe and America.