No trip to Malaysia is complete without a visitto the Batik Factories and breaking your head over what to buy from theresplendent array of batik work products. Batik is an art practiced in manycountries in Asia where wax is used to draw a design on cloth; the fabric isdyed in various bright colors that are not absorbed by the wax filled designsalone. Later this wax is removed using a solvent or by ironing it out. But thisis not all! There's much more to this art that makes it a national art of Malaysia. Batik has a timeless appeal; Batik Sarongs were a much loved attire of Malays andpeople from various other parts of the world and even now, Batik has a magneticpresence that draws tourists and locals to its hold.


Modern day Batik is all aboutinnovation! It moves out of the traditional Batik printing methods toexperiment on various surfaces such as silk, cotton, wool, leather, paper andeven wood. The products made out of these innovations are also varied and notjust restricted to apparel. Charming ethnic accessories are created using thesenew techniques that have a high demand from locals and tourists alike. Modernstyles of batik are also more of a mix of various art forms such as painting,etching, blocks, use of stencils and various other tools for discharge of wax.This has resulted in a breakout from the traditional block designs to a morediverse range of prints.


The Batik industry is Malaysia has been given afurther impetus to experiment with new trends by the Malaysian Government inits effort to promote Batik as a national art form. When tradition andinnovation blend together, the result is astounding and that's the case withbatik too. Now, you can find batik featuring in fashion shows and on theshelves of most high end designer wear outlets. All state functions giveimportant to batik; important dignitaries and foreign visitors wear batik torespect the tradition of the country.


The latest Batik news is its adaptability tovarious different materials that make it a wonderful tool for creativity. Thepast few years have seen a revolution in use of batiks in apparel, accessories,furniture covers, stationary, footwear and lots of other consumer products. Alot of artists have become famous because of their involvement in this thrivingbatik industry. There are now online classes for batik making techniques andtips on working with batik. Check out batik blogs to see the latest designs inbatik and to learn how innovatively this art is used


Two technique of batik are practiced in Malaysia, the hand crafted Batik and block-printed batik. Inspite of technological improvements in Batik work, hand-drawn Batik retains itsshare of market and is valued for its exquisiteness. Handcrafted Batik productsare more expensive than block printed products because of the time and effortspent in making each piece. But the resulting product is well worth the cost.So next time you visit Malaysia, make sure you have plenty of space in yourluggage to bring back wonderful batik souvenirs to cherish.


Source: www.ezinearticles.com