Ecoprinting for Women’s Empowerment

Puthut Ardianto added that ecoprinting had empowered women in some parts of Yogyakarta, where he started an empowerment program in Dlingo district, Bantul regency, in 2018.

KOMPAS/HARIS FIRDAUS

Puthut Ardianto

With his skill in creating fashion products using the ecoprinting technique, Puthut Ardianto, 37, is empowering women in Yogyakarta and Central Java.

Puthut is the owner of an ecoprinting business, Lemospires, in the city of Yogyakarta. In addition, he is also chairman of the Indonesian Eco-Printer Association (AEPI). The association established in November 2020 has a membership of more than 1,000 ecoprint producers across several cities in Indonesia.

Before he came across ecoprinting, Puthut already possessed deep affection for the textiles of Nusantara (Indonesian archipelago) like batik, lurik (stripe-patterned woven fabric) and jumputan (tie-dyed fabric). His love of fabrics dates back to when he became a Yogyakarta Tourism Ambassador in 2007. During his tenure, he interacted frequently with traditional weavers and textile artisans.

“We were often invited to meet with batik craftspeople, lurik weavers and others. That was when I began falling in love with Nusantara fabrics,” Puthut said on Monday (9/8/2021) in Yogyakarta.

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In 2010, Puthut started producing batik and tried to produce jumputan. There happen to be many jumputan makers near his house in Tahunan subdistrict of Umbulharjo district, Yogyakarta city. At first, he produced batik and jumputan using synthetic dyes. Later, Puthut replaced the synthetic dye with natural dye after he learned about ecoprinting.

In simple terms, ecoprinting is the technique of applying motifs and colors to cloths, leather or paper by means of natural materials. Usually eco-printers utilize various parts of plants like leaves, flowers or stems to create motifs and give colors.

Puthut has been conversant with ecoprinting since the end of 2017. In the beginning, he sought ecoprinting literature and tutorials from the internet. Then he learned from e-books and online courses.

In 2018, he started experimenting with the technique and created ecoprint products under the brand name Lemospires. His ecoprint fabrics sell for a varying range of prices. A length of fabric measuring 2 meters by 1.1 m costs between Rp 350,000 and Rp1.5 million. Buyers come from not only Indonesia, but also other countries such as Australia and the Netherlands.

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Puthut Ardianto

Big potential

Puthut said the potential for ecoprint development in Indonesia was very big, in view of the country’s diverse species of vegetation that were suited for ecoprinting like teak leaves, lanang (Oroxylum indicum, Indian trumpet) leaves, kalpataru (arborvitae, thuja) leaves and jenitri (rudraksha) leaves.

“We have abundant natural resources that can be used for ecoprinting. This has often caused envy among foreigners,” said Puthut, who is also an English language lecturer at Muhammadiyah University Yogyakarta.

Some ecoprint craftspeople, continued Puthut, cultivated the plants they needed to produce natural dyes. This way, apart from being environmentally friendly, ecoprinting also contributed to the greening of the environment.

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He added that ecoprinting had empowered women in some parts of Yogyakarta, where he started an empowerment program in Dlingo district, Bantul regency, in 2018.

“I used to visit Dlingo and noticed the vast ecoprinting development potential in Dlingo. A lot of teak and lanang trees can be found there, the leaves of which are suitable for ecoprinting,” he said.

KOMPAS/HARIS FIRDAUS

Puthut Ardianto

Puthut began by offering technical training workshops on ecoprinting for women in Dlingo. Following the training program, the women formed Shero, a community named with an acronym derived from “She is a hero”. The women set up the community starting with 20 members from six villages in Dlingo to facilitate its members’ ecoprint products.

Besides the training program, Puthut also received an institutional grant to donate equipment and materials to the Dlingo women to support their ecoprint production, including stoves and steamers.

Today, the Dlingo women independently produce ecoprint products. “They have considerably honed their skills. Even the quality of their work has outpaced mine,” Puthut said, laughing.

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The Dlingo women’s ecoprint products are sold through various exhibits and programs, and allow them to earn an extra income.

Besides Dlingo, Puthut has also provided ecoprint training for women in other areas like Brontokusuman subdistrict of Mergangsan district, Yogyakarta city, and Bugel village of Panjatan district, Kulon Progo regency. Outside Yogyakarta, Puthut has trained and promoted ecoprint communities in Klaten regency and the city of Magelang, both in Central Java.

“Ecoprint indeed has many benefits, including empowering women,” Puthut stressed.

Shero member Inggit Fandayati, 40, said the ecoprint fabrics produced by the community’s members sold for between Rp 120,000 and Rp 400,000. The community could earn up to Rp 3.5 million per month from the sales of their ecoprint fabrics. The figure excludes the income earned from the individual sales of works created by Shero members.

“The initial concept was actually to empower women. We were originally housewives but later, we could participate in economic activities through ecoprinting. It [the income] is actually still small, but the benefits are already felt,” added Inggit.

Puthut Ardianto

Born: Tuban, 21 June 1984

Education:

- Master in English Language Education, Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa University, Yogyakarta

- Bachelor in English Language Education, Teacher Training and Pedagogic Faculty, Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa University, Yogyakarta

Activities:

- Owner, Lemospires ecoprinting business, Yogyakarta

- Chairman, Indonesian Eco-Printer Association

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.