EXPLORING PAINTING AND WEFT IKAT WEAVING THROUGH NATURAL DYES: AN ART-BASED INTERNSHIP AT OMAH PETROK ECOWEAVING

This article documents a practice-based exploration of natural dyes in painting and weft ikat weaving, carried out during an art internship at Omah Petrok Ecoweaving, Troso Village, Jepara (2 March–10 July 2026). It asks how natural-dye exploration, motif design and weft ikat techniques are applied at the studio, which materials and techniques were used for each work, and what visual characteristics resulted. A descriptive qualitative approach was used, combining participant observation, informal interviews, visual documentation and literature study. The studio develops motifs through traditional, custom and creative approaches and works with dyes from mahogany bark, ketapang leaves, mango leaves and indigofera leaves, fixed with lime and iron-based solutions. Using these materials, the author produced two paintings on canvas, Owl in Silence and Cat in a Hood, and one weft ikat textile, The Silent Line of the Owl, all developed around themes of silence, self-reflection and the search for a safe space. The study shows how a single locally sourced dye palette can be carried across painting and weft ikat, and how traditional resist-dyeing techniques can support a contemporary, personal visual narrative. Because color fastness and environmental impact were not measured, the findings are limited to the documented practice and its visual outcomes.