Bush Foods - Katanariku

Batik is a textile art form in which hot wax is applied to cloth to resist dye, creating intricate layered designs. Each colour requires a separate waxing and dyeing process, with the final stage involving the removal of wax in boiling water to reveal the completed pattern.
The batik technique was introduced to Ernabella (Pukatja) in 1972 by American artist Leo Brereton, who had studied in Indonesia and was appointed to teach the women of the community. A few years later, Danish artist Vivianne Bertelsen joined the art centre in 1975–76, supported by the Aboriginal Arts Board, helping to further develop the practice.
That same year, three Ernabella artists travelled to Yogyakarta, Indonesia, to study traditional Indonesian batik methods at the Batik Institute. On their return, they shared their knowledge across the region, teaching women at Utopia and Indulkana, while artist groups from the Northern Territory and Western Australia visited Ernabella to observe their work.
Batik became a defining medium for Ernabella Arts throughout the 1970s and 1980s, marking a period of innovation and cultural exchange. The Ernabella artists adapted the Indonesian technique to reflect their own Country and Tjukurpa, transforming batik into a unique and enduring expression of Anangu creativity.