When hot wax lines tell stories – Our tie-dye workshop in Sri Lanka
Winter in Europe. Summer in Sri Lanka. We immerse ourselves in the tropical warmth of southern Sri Lanka – and in an art that has once enchanted us before.
You may know our story about the hemp field, where we learned the art of batik from the Hmong hill tribe women in Thailand. Back then, we sat among hemp plants and learned to draw patterns on fabric with hot wax. It was a magical moment: We got to know the craftsmanship of the Hmong – a culture that has significantly shaped the virblatt brand because it shaped us.
When we saw the offer from Jez-Look Batiks on our journey, we immediately knew: This is an art we also want to show our children.
A woman who never gives up
In an unassuming street in Matara, we find Jez-Look Batiks. From the outside just a house, inside a treasure trove full of colors, fabrics, and stories. And in the middle: Jezima Mohammed, over 80 years old, with her inspiring story.
She has been doing this for almost 70 years, and some of her workers have been with her from the very beginning. The workers are part of her family – a family that has lived through all times. Even times when tourists stayed away because of the civil war or the pandemic.
The depth beneath the surface
As Jezima tells us her story, I begin to understand what I repeatedly experience on travels: You only scratch the surface of a culture if you just look, take photos, and move on. But if you take your time. If you ask. If you truly listen and give your attention – then doors open to something much greater.
We could have simply booked a workshop. A few hours of hot wax action, a nice souvenir, then on to the next spot. Instead, we sit here with a woman who shows us what perseverance means. What it means to stay true to your passion. What it means to take responsibility for others – even when times are tough.
We are invited to lunch, and her brother, who is visiting and eats the delicious curry with us, has an equally interesting life story that took him to the USA and will now lead him back home, to his family.
The workshop: More than technique
When we take the tools ourselves, I feel the connection to the batik experience with the Hmong women. The same art, different country, different stories – yet the same principle: patience, precision, dedication. The copper pens must be dipped in hot wax, then you draw the patterns on the fabric. Then comes the color, then the washing out of the wax in boiling water. Layer by layer a design emerges.
Our children are fascinated by the process. They intuitively understand that something special is happening here – something that takes time, that is not finished with a click. In a world that is getting faster and faster, batik is a statement: "I take the time it takes to create my artwork."
The challenge: Layer by layer to variety
The big difference to our experience with the Hmong: Here we do not work with just one color. Here it is about several colors, complexity.
Jezima explains the process: You start with the lightest color and work step by step to the darkest. First, you draw with hot wax the areas that should remain white. Then comes the first dye bath – usually yellow or a light blue. Let dry. Then apply wax again, this time on the areas that should keep this color. Next dye bath, a bit darker. And so on.
With each layer, the pattern becomes more complex. The colors blend over each other, new tones arise. In the end, after several rounds, you can create incredibly diverse patterns – from delicate pastel shades to deep, rich colors in a single piece of fabric.
That makes their clothing unique. No piece is like another. Each carries the handwriting of the person who made it, the choices they made, the time they invested.
Alternative clothing with soul
We love alternative clothing that does not just serve the mainstream. Clothing that is as diverse and unique as the people who wear it. Just like with batik – every piece is different, every pattern tells its own story.
For us, this is spiritual clothing in the original sense: clothing that has a soul, that connects you with something greater. That carries the energy of the people who made it. That shows respect for craftsmanship, tradition, and the time that has gone into it.
At virblatt, we work with the same idea: fashion with meaning. Clothing that is fairly made, that respects traditional craftsmanship, that creates a connection between the wearer and the people who made it.
The lesson
Jezima plans to continue until the end. "I will keep going as long as I can."
That is the message we take with us: Do what you love. Keep at it, even when it gets hard. Care for the people around you. Don’t give up.
An equally important insight for us: When you travel, don’t just scratch the surface. Talk to people. Ask about their stories. Be curious. Listen. Then you really learn something. Then real connection happens.
Batik teaches us that the most beautiful patterns arise when you work layer by layer. With patience. With dedication. With the certainty that it is worth it.
Sthuthi (ස්තූතියි),
Your virblatt team
