The winners of the Batik Lestari Design competition: Muhammad Nazri Mat Nasir (centre); Athirahjuhari x Shudd (left of Muhammad Nazri) and Elegen Dinamik (right). — Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: On a night celebrating the beautiful heritage of Malaysian batik, a keris-inspired design came out tops in the Batik Lestari Design Festival, which showcased a total of 20 shortlisted designs.
The top winner Muhammad Nazri Mat Nasir from Kota Bharu, Kelantan, took home a total of RM30,000. The second and third places went to Athirahjuhari x Shudd and Elegen Dinamik, who won a total of RM30,000, RM15,000 and RM10,000 respectively.
The winners will also have some of their designs featured at 2025 Asean Finance Ministers meetings and related meetings, as Malaysia will be the Asean chairman next year.
This design competition was part of the larger Batik Lestari Festival, which is a joint collaboration by the Securities Commission (SC) and MyCreative Ventures Group (MyCV) to promote and showcase the rich legacy of Malaysian batik and elevate Malaysian batik on the global stage.
SC chairman Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi said that Batik Lestari should not only inspire beautiful creations but ensure the creative and cultural industries can thrive in a modern yet circular economy.
“Batik Lestari echoes the broader values of Malaysia MADANI; the vision of a developed, inclusive, and compassionate Malaysia.
“One where our collective strength is reflected not only in our economy, but in the daily lives of our people and our art,” he said at the event.
Meanwhile, MyCV chief executive officer (CEO) Zainariah Johari said the essence of tradition lies not just in preservation but in evolution.
“By fostering creativity and sustainability, we aim to empower a new generation of talent to carry forward this rich heritage onto the global stage, inspiring the world with the vibrant stories that would leave a lasting imprint on our minds like that of the batik block prints,” she said.
Over 80 submissions were received nationwide throughout the competition period held from Sept 16 to Oct 31.
The Batik Festival, held until Dec 6 at the Securities Commission building in Mont Kiara, also features a batik exhibition, workshops, performances and a curated batik retail market.
Read more next Sunday here and in Sunday Star.
Glorious Batik
The Batik Lestari Design Festival competition is an effort to elevate local Batik on world stage. — Bernama
Beautiful Malaysian batik designs on show. — Bernama
A Batik artisan demonstrating how to make a hand-painted Batik design. — Bernama
Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail commends the Securities Commission Malaysia and MyCreative Ventures Group on the success of the Batik Lestari Festival. — Bernama
One of the exhibited Batik designs at the Batik Lestari Design Festival.— Bernama
Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail looking at the Batik designs showcased at the Batik Lestari exhibition. The idea for the programme was initiated by the PM Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself. — Bernama
Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail checkinmg out a Batik artisan demonstrating how to make a hand-painted Batik design. — Bernama
