The youngest of a Supreme Court justice’s four children, Iwan Tirta aspired to be a diplomat in his younger years. Eventually studying law in the prestigious University of Indonesia, London School of Economics and the famed Yale Law School, Iwan Tirta was set for a glittering career in the judicial system. However, he set out to be a batik designer upon his return to Indonesia. He began a career designing handmade batik fabrics, learning the craft by studying design, motifs and traditional batik manufacturing methods.
His love for the fabric’s rich heritage is clear in his stunningly intricate batik designs and his line of batik shirts, which became so famous that they were worn by various heads of state such as Ronald Reagan and Nelson Mandela.
Iwan Tirta’s latest collection takes inspiration from the traditional Javanese tradition of Condrosengkolo. A symbology of numbers that emphasises harmony and balance with the universe is woven into lovely batik patterns in the collection.
