In May of this year, the National Immigration Agency announced the winners of the 7th New Residents and Their Children’s Dream Building Project. The most inquired by readers are Guan Mei lian (官美連) from Indonesia and her daughter Liu Yu zhen (劉玉珍). The topic is "Sewing the clothes of a mother’s dream". The fashionable batik garments combining traditional Indonesian Batik craftsmanship with Taiwanese features, not only was recognized by the National Immigration Agency but also on 【Taiwan I'm Here】Facebook fan page. Many readers asked whether there are channels to buy or participate in Indonesian batik related courses.
Daughter Liu Yu zhen concentrates on making Indonesian batik
(Photo/Provided with authorization from Guan Mei Lian)
Guan Mei lian (官美連), from Jakarta Indonesia, was originally hired to work in a factory in Taiwan. Just before the contract ended, she met her husband through a friend. The well-behaved Guan Mei lian (官美連) was deeply loved by her husband’s parents and she got married with her husband before returning to Indonesia.
When she first got married, Guan Mei lian (官美連) used to take the wrong bus and train because of her language barrier. In the village, her neighbors look at her strangely with discrimination, which made her feel very frustrated when she first got married. Therefore, she decided to learn Chinese and even Hakka dialects. She learnt to speak in Sixian dialect accent (四縣腔) and Hailu dialect accent fluently (海陸腔). When taking the Hakka dialect test, even the judges highly praised her for speaking very well.
Combining traditional Indonesian batik with Taiwanese features, the batiks are favored by the art circles and are invited to be exhibited in the art exhibition hall.
(Photo/Provided with authorization from Guan Mei Lian)
The enthusiastic and cheerful Guan Mei lian (官美連) felt that there were a lot of challenges when she first came to Taiwan but she was helped by kind people. After the children entered elementary school, Guan Mei lian (官美連) actively participated in native Indonesian teaching in school and the interpreter training in National Immigration Agency. She helped other new residents with her experiences accumulated living in Taiwan, hoping that through her experience sharing, they can adapt to the new environment as soon as possible.
Guan Mei lian (官美連) said that she got happiness and the greatest sense of accomplishment by helping those in need.
Combining traditional Indonesian batik with Taiwanese features, the batiks are favored by the art circles and are invited to be exhibited in the art exhibition hall.
(Photo/Provided with authorization from Guan Mei Lian)
Serving as an interpreter at the National Immigration Agency (Taoyuan Service Center) three days a week, and as an Indonesian teacher in five elementary schools, the ten-year slash life has made Guan Mei lian (官美連) feel accomplished. Besides, Guan Mei lian (官美連) also actively promotes Indonesian traditional cultural shadow play (Wayang) and traditional batik to students and Taiwanese friends. Guan Mei lian (官美連) said that art has no boundaries and language barrier. Using art to introduce Indonesian culture is the best way to make others understand and learn foreign cultures, especially for young children. Art is the best teaching material.
Liu Yu zhen (劉玉珍), Guan Mei lian's daughter, grew up watching Wayang and Batik as Mei lian prepares for class teaching materials. She is particularly interested in color and art. Before coming to Taiwan, Guan Meilian’s family was engaged in fabric trading and clothing production. Liu Yu zhen (劉玉珍) was influenced by her mother profoundly since she was a child and she is currently studying in the fashion design department of Zhongli High School of Commerce and Home Economics(中壢家商). At home, they do batik, design and sew clothing and this is the happiest moment for them.
Indonesian batik tools and materials are brought back from Indonesia
(Photo/Provided with authorization from Guan Mei Lian)
Guan Mei lian (官美連) said her daughter has a strong interest for Indonesian batik, and she’s full of her own ideas and creativity. In 2019, Guan Mei lian (官美連) went to East Java Indonesia, the birthplace of batik, to learn batik from professionals. "if you wear traditional Indonesian batik clothes in Taiwan and walk on the road, passers-by will stare at you with strange looks." The daughter with her own views said, "Traditional batik is really old-fashioned, the color is heavy, and wearing it makes you look like an old woman. The batik designed by my mother and I is bright and fashionable. Many people like the photos I posted on my Instagram."
Ms. Guan Mei lian (官美連) knows well about fabrics. She shared that Indonesian batik is a long-standing professional technique and an important Indonesian culture. Batik patterns vary according to the folk customs of each district in Indonesia. For example, there are many temples in Bali, so that the patterns are mainly temples and statues; batik in Java is mainly composed of flowers, plants and birds. The batik costumes in Jakarta are brightly colored and lively.
Indonesian batik tools and materials are brought back from Indonesia
(Photo/Provided with authorization from Guan Mei Lian)
To promote Indonesian batik to students and friends in Taiwan, Guan Mei lian (官美連) brings many batik materials from Indonesia back to Taiwan every year. Her daughter knows how to analyze the differences in wax materials of each origin. She is even aware of the climate in Taiwan is damper and knows how to control indoor temperature and humidity, how to mix the pigments for dyeing cloth so that it will be more colorful. Now my daughter’s batik works are selected for exhibition at the Yangmei Art Exhibition Hall, and the exhibition will last until the end of December this year. My daughter is now more professional than me.
Daughter’s artistic talent makes traditional Indonesian batik more innovative and fashionable.
(Photo/Provided with authorization from Guan Mei Lian)
Guan Mei lian (官美連), who has been actively involved in passing Indonesian mother tongue and cultural heritage on for the past ten years, is proud to say that her daughter is more like an Indonesian than me. Liu Yu zhen (劉玉珍) usually helps her mother conceive and design lessons for Indonesian culture. This time she participated in the "New Residents and Their Children Dream Building Project", and her daughter took the initiative to "sew the clothes that mother dreams of." "The theme is to purchase the tools and materials needed for batik clothing through the dream-building project, and actively plan a traditional Indonesian costume show. We have completed the dream of wearing the clothes designed by ourselves.
Next, they plan to hold more Indonesian batik courses to promote Indonesian traditional culture. They will also try to learn online micro-commerce so that more people can buy these beautiful batik works.
