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Fascinated and inspired by Australian aboriginal art 4 years ago, artist Emilia Tan has delved into her artistic world by entering the world of batik.
Applying the techniques of lines and dots prevalent in aboriginal artworks, she has managed to create her own unique style; one which she deems as contemporary batik.
Since then, she has not looked back and has further experimented with various techniques in producing her batik works either on fabric or canvas.
Her love affair with batik began when she was still a student majoring in Fashion & Textile design in Malaysian Institute Of Art.
"Producing an abstract work reflects my inner soul. For me, an abstract work conveys many meanings and opens the door to various interpretations by different art lovers," she said during her recent exhibition at the Grand Seasons Hotel lobby.
Although not widely known yet among batik art lovers in Malaysia, Emilia had been involved in various art exhibitions and batik demonstrations, which were held mostly in shopping malls around the Klang Valley area.
Her works have also caught the eyes of art lovers, particularly from Taiwan, and at the end of the year, this Banting-born artist will travel to the United States to prepare for her first art exhibition abroad. The exhibition is scheduled to be held next summer in Agora Gallery, New York.
"There are many different techniques in producing a batik art work and my favourite method is by using the tjanting. However, I am also open to other methods and mediums like using salt, acrylic, crayon and watercolour. I am not anxious in trying different techniques or mediums and I believe by experimenting, a unique art piece will be created," she said.
To widen her horizon in the world of batik, Emilia strives to combine Chinese calligraphy and batik in the hope of making her artworks more meaningful.
At the moment, she also enjoys producing huge batik pieces; the biggest batik piece she has done measures around 300cm x 200cm. Apart from batik, she also prints her contemporary batik artworks on postcards.
Sharing her knowledge with batik enthusiasts, Emilia conducts her own batik workshops for both adults and children at her gallery in Wangsa Melawati, Kuala Lumpur. She teaches various techniques like tie and dye, block, tjanting and mixed media.