Identity is present in the threads man weaves into being on nature’s canvas. It is memory, however, that endows magical powers to this union between human endeavour and nature’s forces, giving birth to a longing that binds man not only to place and culture, but also to an ongoing process of identification. The landscapes unique to Java and Bali, of terraced paddy fields hugging the feet of cloud-draped majestic volcanoes, are evoked in batik motifs by Sandy Infield in a tribute that pays homage to the threads that tie the Javanese and Balinese to their identity.

These works are the England-born artist’s tribute to and appreciation of the meaning in such a belonging, although she does not clearly choose any allegiance to either culture or nature. The batik tradition she admires is her point of departure in appreciating the psychological impact of nature’s patterns that are recorded and continuously re-created in batik. The unique techniques she has developed are her in-kind contribution for her lessons here, for they have opened up new possibilities of imagery and signification to the treasure trove of traditional batik symbolism.

Sandy Infield’s exploration into batik was inspired by aerial views of the Javanese landscape glimpsed before landing at Yogyakarta’s Adisucipto airport in 2009, and her subsequent visits to batik ateliers. For almost three years, these memories have been goading her explorations at her studios in Sanur, Bali, while she mulls over the ideas and feelings that seize her about the identity she and the people around her wear. Whether these multifaceted identities are represented in the textiles of our clothes or the landscapes we shape or choose to call our home, these fragile works of art give insight on how the human psyche reflects its surroundings and projects hopes onto vast skies, the universal canvas of our imagination.

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