Process Batik

Batik is a liquid resist technique used for producing designs on cloth. Highly refined in Indonesia, the technique made its way to Ghana in the late 19th century, where it has gradually developed into a unique local style. Ghanaian batikers for instance stamp with carved foam, made from local rubber, which is lighter and more absorbent than the wooden stamps used elsewhere. Batik motifs are hand-painted or stamped with hot liquid wax, which penetrates the cloth to form a resist. When the hardened wax is dipped in the cold dye bath, small cracks form, producing the fine veins that are synonymous with handcrafted batik.This process can be repeated over and over, adding layers of color and detail to a textile. This intricate work is physically intense and subject to a wide range of variables, from weather to the age of the dye powder. As a result batik textiles are always unique.

All Osei-Duro batik prints are created in collaboration with small-scale artisanal dyers in Ghana.