Apin did numerous works tackling the batik medium. Most of these works were titled Batik Variant with some having more than a few editions. From these series of works we can see his attempts at inserting the vernacular or ‘tradition’ into his practice which is known more for its progressiveness and universality ie. abstraction.This work is culturally significant, especially since Indonesia has a well established history in the production of batik textiles. It was for this very reason that Apin’s interpretation of this entrenched tradition provides an interesting study of the medium in relation to the art and craft discourse. The 1970s period also saw many modern Indonesian artists re-visiting traditional culture and mythology. Subsequently some would incorporate these elements into their visual language.
