07

Black heavy cotton fabric (from craft denim)
Floral motif hand painted with bleach

Black heavy cotton from Craft Denim forms the foundation of this work. Upon it, the bouquet motif of Eliza van Zuylen is enlarged and hand-painted with bleach. Through this process the colour is extracted rather than adding it, revealing the image through absence. The floral pattern recalls the bouquet batik tradition of Pekalongan, a style shaped by colonial exchange and local adaptation.

Across the surface, small knots made from various strong threads are directly sown on the painting. Each thread, while fragile on its own, gains strength when bound with others.