Joni Silas Wona or better known as John Wona (39) feels he has the mandate to continue to protect and introduce Papuan batik. Biodiversity is an asset in introducing Papuan batik with various patterns as a local identity.

The sound of crashing waves could be heard thundering as they hit the side under John’s house on the coast of North Jayapura. John was tidying up some of the batik work that was usually done throughout Wednesday every week.

Various kinds of fabrics with various motifs, dominated by typical coastal patterns, such as octopus, fish, and seaweed, are displayed in various corners of the house. Others have patterns of other Papuan riches, such as patterns of the bird of paradise and the tifa musical instrument.

These works are accompanied by batik tools, such as writing canting and printing stamps with various motifs. Other artistic works, such as carvings, paintings and wickerwork, also fill the simple 2 meter x 3 meter living room in John’s house.

“Batik has taken me to see the vastness of the world. “With batik, I can also introduce the various riches that Papua has,” said John, who also still has the status of an honorary janitor for the Jayapura City Environment and Hygiene Service (DLHK).

Batik, which is a culture that is identical to the land of Java, is believed to have begun to acculturate and develop in Papuan society since the last 30 years. Currently, this art has become the identity of Papua, which is also embedded in the identity of John Wona, born in Jayapura, 6 April 1984.

The Ameldi Studio, which John founded with his wife, Elfrita Bonai (34), is a place for caring for Papuan batik. Apart from actively producing for commercialization, through this studio, this man with four children also introduces batik through the world of education, both formal and non-formal.

Initial Introduction

John Wona’s introduction to batik began in 2003, when he was studying a Diploma 3/D-3 in Textile Crafts at the Papuan Arts College, Jayapura City. Various activities, both internal and external to the campus, brought him to know more about batik art.

Apart from that, John also learned about batik directly from the owner of Papuan batik, Mariana Ibo Pulanda or Mama Ibo in 2006-2009 at Karya Batik Dobonsolo, Sentani, Jayapura Regency. Mama Ibo is considered the initial figure who pioneered batik in Papua in the early 1990s. From this figure, John learned many things about batik art.

“This is also where I started to get to know printing. “In 2009, I ventured to form a studio in the field of textile crafts, but it only lasted until 2012,” said John.

In 2012, John, who had completed his D-3 studies at STSP, tried again to form a studio in the coastal area of North Jayapura. Together with his wife, he founded Sanggar Ameldi.

“Studio Ameldi comes from the names of our three children, namely Aimar, Elizabeth, Dinar,” he said.

At first, Sanggar Ameldi also did not immediately develop well. Due to various limitations, this batik studio only relies on t-shirt production. With production and income not being optimal, this studio went into hiatus for the following two years.

At this moment, John, who is still active as an honorary janitor at DLHK Jayapura City, is not discouraged from maintaining his enthusiasm for batik art. He still spends time honing his batik skills.

Then, in 2015 John’s batik enthusiasm again became a momentum. At that time he was trusted to introduce Papuan batik through a number of programs initiated by the Jayapura City Government.

In the following years, he was increasingly trusted to guide and teach batik art in educational institutions. This further inspired his enthusiasm to get involved in the more productive batik industry.

In 2018, Sanggar Ameldi returned to business. At that time, Papuan batik enthusiasts came from various circles, from individuals to city and provincial government agencies in Papua.

John’s batik making skills continued to develop when he also completed his undergraduate studies majoring in Fine Arts at the Indonesian Institute of Cultural Arts, Tanah Papua, Jayapura, in 2017-2019. He also received certification from the National Professional Certification Agency in 2022.

Maritime Wealth

From the start, John was quite interested in developing batik by exploiting the richness of the sea and coastal areas of Papua. For John, Papua’s natural wealth is a great capital for promoting art as well as a distinctive characteristic of Papuan batik.

This capital of self-confidence increased even more when he was entrusted with designing the costumes worn by Papuan representatives, when he won the provincial title with the best costume at the 2021 Maritime Festival in Bali. Nautical motifs are also considered to have increasingly promising potential.

John often includes various nautical motifs in his batik works, such as octopus motifs, seaweed, fish and a wealth of other marine life. This uniqueness makes John’s batik work popular with various groups. Apart from ordinary people and travelers, his batik cloth is also often subscribed to by government agencies, cities and provinces in Papua.

“In fact, last year (2023), when Vice President Ma’ruf Amin came to Jayapura here, he also bought my batik cloth with this nautical motif,” he said.

Consistency in batik and promoting maritime wealth in Papua also led John to represent Papua at the BNI Solo Batik Music Festival in Surakarta, Central Java, in October 2023.

“Not only did going to Java allow me to see the vastness of the world, it also exposed me to a very diverse range of batik. “More than that, with our uniqueness, I have succeeded in introducing Papuan batik at least at the national level,” he said.

A trip to Surakarta brought John together with reliable batik makers from Yogyakarta and Central Java. He is increasingly enthusiastic about the various new knowledge he has gained to further dedicate and introduce batik to all corners of Papua.

Dedication to Batik

Since 2018, John has been trusted by the Department of Industry, Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises of Jayapura City to be a facilitator for batik development in the Jayapura area. During that period, he guided at least six groups of batik craftsmen in Jayapura.

Not only in Jayapura, John is also trusted to train and introduce batik in other parts of Papua. Various connections in the city and provincial governments have also led to John being trusted to accompany batik businesses in areas such as Sarmi Regency, Waropen, and the Yapen Islands.

In fact, with the capital of a BNSP certificate, John was also trusted by the Ministry of Industry to develop and introduce batik in the Papua Mountains, namely Jayawijaya Regency and Yahukimo Regency.

In the world of formal education, he is also active as a teacher at universities. He teaches courses, specifically related to craft arts. In fact, he also volunteers to teach subjects to children at one of the elementary schools in Jayapura.

Apart from that, three of his four children are also involved in this business. The three of them are involved in daily production which is usually carried out on Wednesday every week.

“I have a soul that has been called to foster and continue to introduce the art of batik to children in Papua,” said John.