Sri Lankan Batik : Arundika on Wax, Cracks, and Turning Craft Into a Global Flex

Arundika Weersekera is a Sri Lankan Architectural Designer and Batik Artist trained in Sri Lanka and the UK, who explains her mission to introduce batik as a contemporary art form to an international audience, expanding from clothing into homeware. She shares her early path from family garment manufacturing to founding Hues of Batik, and how she ultimately came to love architecture, especially the craft-rich, layered sensibility associated with Geoffrey Bawa, while reconnecting with her own maximalist style. Arundika breaks down Batik’s four-step wax-resist dyeing process, discusses safer fiber reactive dyes, and explains the inevitable crack marks as part of Batik’s beauty. She challenges simplified origin stories, noting wax resist dyeing’s global history beyond Indonesia. During COVID, she created a zero-waste line from rejected fabrics, then developed Portable Batik  Kits and workshops to make the craft accessible anywhere, culminating in a London cushion batik masterclass with Selvedge at the Museum of the Home in September 2026.00:00 Opening03:26 Introductions03:58 Batik & Arundika's Mission05:24 Origin Story: From Fashion to Architecture10:29 The Batik Process Explained16:39 Origins of Batik Around the World20:50 Batik in Sri Lanka24:48 Arundika's Architecture Career & Finding Her Style32:21 COVID, Zero-Waste & Returning to Batik37:51 The Hues of Batik Kits42:59 London Workshop & ClosingFind out more about Hues of Batik & Arundika Weerasekerahttps://www.instagram.com/huesofbatik/Workshop 22nd September 2026 https://www.selvedge.org/products/london-textile-month-batik-dyeing-with-hues-of-batikArundika Weerasekera is an architectural designer, textile artist, founder of Hues of Batik and, most importantly, an enormous creative at heart."With an MA in Architecture from the University of Manchester, my journey with batik actually started as a little passion project with my mum. Somewhere between architecture, fashion, zero-waste experiments, exhibitions and a lot of playing around with batik, I slowly realised there was so much more I wanted to do with this craft.Over the years, I’ve exhibited internationally, represented the Batik Guild in the North of England, developed an experiential batik kit as part of my patent-pending portable batik creation system, and conducted workshops sharing the craft with others.And somewhere along the way, my two worlds finally came together. Today, through Hues of Batik, I explore how traditional Sri Lankan batik can live within contemporary interiors, from textiles and cushions to bespoke wall panels and architectural applications.Basically, architecture + batik + a slightly obsessive need to keep creating things"Title: Sri Lanka: Modern Perspectives from an Ancient Melting PotHost: Dee Gibson — Sri Lankan-born, award winning designer based in London and founder of boutique hotel Kalukanda House in Sri Lanka. www.kalukandahouse.com | instagram @deegibson2017 & @kalukandahousePodcast Themes:Modern Sri Lankan identity and cultureArchitecture, art, and designSustainability and heritageDiaspora experiences and storytellingWhy Listen:This podcast offers deep, intelligent storytelling about Sri Lanka’s evolving identity — a blend of East and West, ancient and modern. It’s for listeners who love culture, travel, architecture, and thoughtful conversation.