Oey Soe Tjoen’s Peranakan Batik Legacy Endures in a Book by Ciputra University
March 1, 2025
TIMESINDONESIA, SURABAYA – Ciputra University (UC) Surabaya is taking concrete steps to preserve Indonesia’s cultural heritage.
One of these efforts is through the 2025 Peranakan Festival, marked by the launch of the book “From the Rainbow for the Universe” on Saturday (March 1, 2025).
Written by Widianti Widjaja (Oey Kim Lian), the third generation of the Oey Soe Tjoen family, in collaboration with Marini Yunita and Dr Rani Prihatmanti, Director of the Ciputra Centre for Heritage Studies (CCHS), the book launch is dedicated to celebrating the centennial of Oey Soe Tjoen batik.
Ciputra University Rector Yohannes Somawiharja stated that this step is a form of support for the nation’s cultural heritage, particularly batik, which has been recognised as a world heritage by UNESCO.
“This is a national masterpiece and the best Peranakan batik in Indonesia,” he said.
According to Prof. Yo, as he is known, this documentation is crucial for preserving and educating students about the production process, which is steeped in art and historical value.
“This documentation is useful for many people. The Oey Soe Tjoen batik family also wants to share their legendary batik with the Indonesian people and nation,” said the rector.
“We also want students to learn more about batik so they can be inspired to develop and preserve it. This will ensure this cultural heritage lasts,” added Prof. Yo.
Meanwhile, Widianti Widjaja (Oey Kim Lian), the third generation of the Oey Soe Tjoen family, expressed her happiness with Ciputra University’s initiative.
She said the process of creating the batik, with its distinctive floral and butterfly motifs, takes five years per piece.
“The work is done back and forth, and the dyeing technique is used,” she said.
Furthermore, Widia admitted that her biggest obstacle in preserving batik is human resources (HR). “Because we apply high standards to batik makers to maintain the quality of Oey Soe Tjoen batik,” she admitted.
Therefore, she hopes that the book “From the Rainbow for the Universe” will foster new talents. “Furthermore, it will encourage the younger generation to appreciate batik as a cultural heritage, because it turns out that making the batik they own is not easy,” she concluded. (*)