What is Batik artwork and why has it been popular for centuries?

Batik artwork is a textile decoration method that uses wax and dye to create patterns on fabric. Batik has been practised for hundreds of years and remains one of the most recognised forms of textile art in the world. The process involves applying hot wax to cloth, colouring the fabric, and repeating the steps to build detailed designs. Many historians connect the strongest Batik tradition to Indonesia, particularly the island of Java, where archaeological evidence suggests that forms of wax-resist dyeing were known in Asia more than 1,000 years ago. Batik became closely linked with Javanese culture during the kingdoms that ruled the region between the 13th and 16th centuries. During the 19th century, Batik production expanded as trade routes connected Indonesia with Europe, China, India, and the Middle East.