Astrid Kusumowidagdo writes about innovative and socially aware Topeng Malangan batik production, guided by Janet Teowarang.

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Indonesia is famously known as the producer of various batik textiles as one of its indigenous heritage products. Having lived in Indonesia all my life, I have a keen interest in batik. One of the Indonesian batik creations that has gained popularity among collectors today is batik Malang. Malang is located in East Java Province, a city that boasts a lot of creative industry riches, a mere 2-hour drive from Surabaya, the province’s capital city. Many businesses are based in the town, and some have gained quite a prominent growth, including the textile and batik industry. Batik cloths produced in Malang are aptly called batik Malangan. They are characterized by the patterns depicting Topeng Malang (Malang-style masks), Tugu Malang (the Statue of Malang), lions, and lotus flowers. The city of Malang can take pride in being the birthplace of this distinctive artwork, which later becomes the inspiration behind batik Malangan’s unique motifs.