Go Tik Swan: Google Doodle celebrates Indonesian batik artist’s 90th birthday

Google Doodle celebrates the 90th birthday of Indonesian artist Go Tik Swan, the eminent batik master, otherwise called Panembahan Hardjonagoro, is well known for making the Batik Indonesia collection that dates back to the 1950s, on May 11, 2021.

Who was Go Tik Swan?

Go Tik Swan was born on May 11th, 1931 in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia. He was a contemporary master of the antiquated art form of designing fabric with hot wax known as batik.

Part of a family of batik producers and brokers of Chinese plummet from Surakarta, Central Java, Go Tik Swan led deeply into Javanese culture and arts and his most prominent passion was batik making.

Go Tik Swan grew up frequenting his grandfather’s batik workshops, where he ingested Javanese cultural knowledge from local craftspeople. Intrigued by his parentage, Swan additionally investigated his heritage by considering Javanese writing and dance at the University of Indonesia.

It was during one of his school dance exhibitions that Indonesia’s leader found out about Swan’s family foundation in batik fabricating and authorized him to make another batik style; one that he accepted could rise above division and join the Indonesian public.

Go Tik Swan used to perform grave measures prior to making batik themes, accepting that a piece of batik was saturated with different philosophical qualities.

During the 1950s, Go Tik Swan satisfied the president’s request by consolidating regional batik methods to present “Batik Indonesia.”

Swan held such high worship for his specialty that he considered each piece of batik to convey philosophical importance, in any event, building up a theme during the 70s entitled Kembang Bangah (“Rotten Flowers”) as a love letter to his national identity.

A specialist in Javanese culture, Go Tik Swan was likewise a master of kris (an old Javanese ceremonial dagger tradition) and a skilled player of gamelan (a popular orchestral form of traditional Indonesian music).

His high devotion to the art acquired Go Tik Swan — who was likewise a kris (ceremonial dagger) master, a fine Javanese artist, a gamelan ace and a Javanese cultural master, as he contemplated old Javanese literature at the University of Indonesia — the honorable title of Panembahan Hardjonegoro from the Surakarta sultanate.

Go Tik Swan offered back such a great amount to his legacy, the Surakarta government respected him with the honorable title of Panembahan Hardjonegoro.

Go Tik Swan’s popularity was seen by first president Sukarno, who during the 1950s requested that he make the prestigious Batik Indonesia as a symbol of batik beauty and Indonesian culture, with no regional segmentation notwithstanding the use of classic standards.

Go Tik Swan later made the Batik Indonesia collection, which joined elements of Surakarta and Yogyakarta with beautiful waterfront batik designs.

The time frame from 1950 to 1970 was the prime of Go Tik Swan. He was so submerged in batik making that he made a theme called Kembang Bangah(rotten flowers) during 1970 to 1990, as a type of his dissent against the more youthful generation’s lack of interest toward national culture.

Notwithstanding his standing, Go Tik Swan was never angered when his motifs were imitated by other batik creators, given that the products were not branded as Go Tik Swan’s.

None of his motifs were licensed either in order to help individuals who were motivated by his patterns.

On May 11, 2021, Google observes Go Tik Swan’s 90th Birthday with a Google Doodle.