Resist / Exist

Come by for a month-long window installation of contemporary, narrative-based hand-drawn batik on view at Fumi for Portland Textile Month. The pieces are made with wax resist and natural dyes sourced from Indonesia and foraged or grown in the Pacific Northwest, connecting the two regions through traditional craft and personal storytelling.

Gaby Tirta is a Chinese Indonesian American artist and designer working in Portland who learned the craft of batik and natural dyeing from artisans at Threads of Life in Ubud, Bali.

Batik has always traveled; it moved through a history of trade, colonization, and changes with every crossing and landing. The work asks what survives migration, what stays hidden, and what gets revealed, decided by intention and accident in the process.

Fumi is a natural home for this work. Mia Reiko Braverman built the shop as a way to stay close to her Japanese roots and her biracial identity. Two practices, two lineages, both asking what it means to carry something forward and make it your own. Showing this work in a storefront window on Mississippi Avenue deliberately meets people on the sidewalk, without a ticket or invitation.

Come by on October 15 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. for an artist talk with Gaby, where you can see the work up close, meet the artist, and enjoy a cup of tea.

Development of this work is supported by a grant from Regional Arts & Culture Council.