From the bustling markets of Kuala Lumpur to the serene workshops of Terengganu, dedicated batik artists can be found in many corners. They keep the traditional art form alive while pushing their own artistic limits to appeal to the modern crowd.

Despite how prominent batik is in our fashion and lifestyle, there seems to be a slight decline in the country’s appreciation of the beloved, vibrant tapestry, especially as we go towards more modern types of fashion. 

That’s exactly what 26-year-old batik artist Iris Vanessa binti Firdaus is on a mission to change by bringing her fresh perspectives on batik-making to the traditional art through social media platforms, such as TikTok.

@2salmons I ran away from home and chose the batik life. #artist #artwork #batik #malaysia #terengganu #foryou #fyp #viral ♬ Past Lives - Martin Arteta & creamy

From the city to the sea

Having lived in Kuala Lumpur her whole life, Iris decided to take a leap of faith as a batik artist when she left her job as a chef at her mother’s café to live with her father in Besut, Terengganu, in 2022. 

In an interview with Rojak Daily, Iris explained that she was living with her mum, stepfather, and younger siblings at the time. She helped them sell their homemade pineapple juice and cut fruits straight from their farm in Kuala Linggi. 

“I was helping out a lot with the juicing and processing, and my mom had an idea to open up a pineapple-themed cafe after the pandemic. She thought that since I made good food and loved cooking, I would be a right fit for the person in charge,” she shared.

Despite it all, Iris admits that her passion was never cooking unless it was for her loved ones. “At first, I thought I would do the job anyway to help her get started. But finding kitchen staff, waiters, or help was hard, so I did everything alone, from buying ingredients to stock-keeping to cooking and social media management.”

Unsurprisingly, this took a toll on Iris’ mental and physical health and forced her to take a lot of days off. This led to a disagreement between her and her mother, prompting her to leave KL and move to where her father is in Besut Terengganu.

“I’ve always wanted to make art for a living, no matter what the medium would be, it was just something my heart was set upon. When the incident with my mother happened, I just did it because I was exhausted from doing something that didn’t make me happy. Plus, it was an enticing change of scenery, with Besut being so close to the sea,” said Iris.

@2salmons i make batik #batik #art #fyp #foryou #handmade ♬ original sound - Serena

As she’d always wanted to be a fashion designer, her lack of sewing skills led her to batik. “My father persuaded me to take up batik because he thought I could be one of the people from the younger generation to innovate and modernise a very versatile art form,” she explained. 

Iris spent several weeks learning the art of batik from a batik artist in Kampung Raja, which became the starting point of her content creator journey. 

“When I first learned about batik making, I thought it would be fun to document how batik is made and share my journey as a batik artist.” Little did she know that her foray into TikTok would catch the attention of many so quickly – her account garnered over 20,000 followers in a few weeks. 

“I remember how my videos gained traction. It was about me working in my batik workshop, and I didn’t expect to get much attention from, but people were flooding the comments for a ‘Part 2’ that I did not even plan on filming,” she said. 

Painting her own path

This growth became the launchpad for her business, 2Salmons Batik, which she launched with only RM1,000.

“I started small, and so money being tight has always been the challenge for me since the beginning. Every time I sold something, I immediately bought new materials or art supplies before my own needs,” she recalled. 

Realising she needed to amp up her batik business exposure, Iris experimented with new content to reach a wider audience. These include videos that showcase the process of batik-making, from heating the wax to finishing a batik piece, and educational videos that show how batik is made and the techniques required to produce different art effects on the fabric. 

@2salmons welcome to the sounds of my batik workshop #asmr #batik #fyp #foryou #viral #terengganu #artasmr #painting #handmade #traditionalart #traditional #malaysia #malaysian #melayu #melayutiktok #tiktokmalaysia ♬ original sound - ruffledfeathersbatik - Iris 2salmons

“Amazingly, my first customer from TikTok was a woman from Pennsylvania! She bought the fabric that I was working on in one of my first videos,” Iris shares. 

To date, Iris has created countless beautiful batik, including scrunchies, fabrics, batik kits and artwork, all infused with a modern twist inspired by current trends. 

She’s even worked with renowned local brands and authors, such as Inisaya, a clothing brand, and Hanna Alkaf, the author of Hamra and the Jungle of Memories.

From drawing batik to doing sales to managing her social media accounts, running 2Salmons Batik has become a part of Iris’s daily routine. A typical day involves careful planning around the weather, as rainy days can hinder her batik fabrics’ drying process, during which Iris would focus on drawing and creating new videos.

Image Credit: 2Salmons Batik

As such, she stated that one of the many challenges she faces while running 2Salmons is herself. “I am my biggest critic, and I have various artworks that I want to create, but most of the time, I end up having too much self-doubt and put it off.”

“Apart from that, I also have a hard time managing all the tasks on my own, like curating my social media, creating new artwork for content, drawing, painting, and the dyeing process by hand is tough labour,” she added.

So, is batik a dying art?

Although the art of batik may have been dormant for a while, Iris doesn’t believe the scene is dying. This is due to her experience with her batik teacher, Taqi and the works of other fellow batik artists. 

“He’s only a couple of years older than me, so we had the same wavelength when talking about art. I saw his fabrics and paintings, and what can be accomplished with batik just amazed me,” she said about Taqi.

@2salmons Please enjoy this video of the hardwork that goes into producing batik :) (this is actually for a wedding welcome sign!) #batik #art #malaysia #handmade #artist #fyp #foryou ♬ PP1 - Frakkur

Meanwhile, she praised local batik artists such as nysakapas and Novak Batik for their dedication to the craft and for innovating this ancient form of art into something so appealing to the modern world. 

“These few genuine artists are honouring this craft with their workmanship and are trying their best to keep it alive, and I would very much like to be a part of that conservation.”

On plans for 2Salmons Batik, Iris said she works mostly on commissions and orders. “I’m saving up the money from whatever sales I make to invest into more materials and supplies to sell ready-stock fabrics, paintings and other products that I can sell at pop-up stores or art markets.”

Meanwhile, her long-term plan is to save up for her own studio, where people can come and visit and make their own hand-drawn kaftans or fabrics. “I also dream of having my artwork displayed in Balai Seni Negara, but I do realise I have a long way to go before then.”

Catch Iris’ batik journey on TikTok by following 2Salmons Batik on TikTok and Instagram.