PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - Finalist from Bandung City, Ardelia Calluella, was selected as the 2026 West Java Batik Ambassador in the grand final at the Auditorium of Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) Bandung, Friday (23/10/2026).

Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan appreciated the event as an effort to introduce batik and foster a love of Indonesian cultural heritage among the younger generation.

Farhan hopes that the younger generation will not only preserve batik, but also develop innovations so that these cultural products remain relevant with the times.

"Indonesian batik must be preserved by the next generation, and even developed to become one of the best in the world," said Farhan.

He believes that the creativity of the younger generation can make batik more well-known and popular among the public, especially young people.

"I'm sure you have many innovations in batik. So, develop them to make batik even cooler and stay current," he advised.

The General Chair of the West Java Batik Foundation (YBJB), Sendy Yusuf, explained that the West Java Batik Ambassador election will be held again in 2026 after a hiatus, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event has previously been held three times and has again attracted participants from 27 districts and cities in West Java.

Registration opens in June 2026, followed by administrative selection, interviews, batik appearance and knowledge training, and batik practice.

In the semifinal stage at Rumah Batik Komar, participants learned the theory and practiced the batik process, starting from using the canting to producing batik cloth.

"Our goal is to find a young generation who not only loves and is proud to wear batik, but also has the ability to understand its history, the batik-making process, and the philosophical meaning of each stroke, motif, and pattern from various cities and districts," said Sendy.

Sendy hopes that the selected ambassadors will actively preserve and develop West Javanese batik, not just hold the title during their term of office.

"Don't just be a Batik Ambassador for two years. Be a lifelong friend and preserver of batik," he advised.

The 2026 West Java Batik Ambassador selection is part of the West Java Batik Jamboree series which also features a batik exhibition at the Golden Flower Hotel on October 24–25, 2026.

The exhibition involved artisans from 27 districts and cities in West Java to introduce a variety of batik products to the public.

Through this event, the younger generation is expected to increasingly understand the cultural value of batik while also producing innovations that open up local, national, and international market opportunities.

(Bandung City Communications and Information Service/bhf)