Originally from Kedah, 34-year-old Haris has lived in the Klang Valley since the age of five and has more than a decade of experience as a fine artist.

“Batik only came into my life during the pandemic. My mum had just retired and we were in lockdown, so I asked if she could teach me the art of batik,” he told FMT Lifestyle.

He began documenting the process online, and the videos unexpectedly gained traction. “I kept experimenting with batik because it felt like a nice break from painting,” Haris shared.

Art was already part of his upbringing. His mother, once an art teacher, studied textile design in university and produced batik for her final year project. In the 1980s, she briefly tried selling batik at Central Market, producing the pieces in their hometown in Kedah.

When the venture did not take off, she became a schoolteacher.

While Haris knew of his mother’s involvement in batik, he had little knowledge of his deeper maternal heritage. This only surfaced years later when he began exploring the craft and reconnected with his family in Kelantan.

His family traces its roots to Ahmedabad, India, from where they fled British conscription before migrating to Kelantan. His great-grandfather, of Pakistani origin, later opened a fabric store in Kota Bharu.

“He had five children and only one son, who was the creative one in the family,” Haris said.

That son – Haris’s granduncle – developed a strong interest in batik and even travelled to Indonesia to study the craft. On returning, he began recreating Indonesian-style batik in Kelantan.

“At that time, Malaysia was doing more block printing rather than wax batik. Some of the blocks were even commissioned in India. It was only in the 1950s that wax techniques became more common here,” he explained.

He added that Indonesian-style batik was once popular locally before Malaysian batik evolved into more floral and colourful motifs.

“The shop eventually closed in the 1980s because that style was no longer popular,” he said of his great-grandfather’s fabric store.

When Haris visited Kelantan, he met a surviving family member who still kept some of the old materials. “I managed to see some of the surviving blocks and fabrics, although many had deteriorated,” he said.

For him, the discovery reframed his understanding of batik entirely.

“What fascinated me most was imagining this Pakistani family assimilating into local culture and becoming part of something so Southeast Asian like batik,” he said.

Haris said being self-taught in batik also shaped his approach to the art form.

“Everything I learnt came from my mum, so I wasn’t restricted by traditional rules. I just experimented and did whatever I liked.”

Before largely focusing on batik, Haris studied illustration for game development at The One Academy and then transitioned to painting.

He later began selling his own work at art bazaars, building early recognition as a visual artist. At 21, he held his first solo exhibition with Artemis Art Gallery.

Over the years, he has worked across multiple mediums, including sculpture and murals. In recent years, however, batik has taken centre stage in his practice.

“My mum has been very involved in my work. I think she’s also living through me a little – like I’m getting to do what she never fully got to pursue,” he said with a smile.

And she remains his toughest critic. Today, his work blends flora and fauna with Southeast Asian cultural references and mythology. He often uses symbolic storytelling to reflect modern life.

“One work I’m especially proud of is a sarong piece I created after returning from Kelantan. It represented my Pakistani side of the family’s journey to Malaysia,” he said.

Most of his batik pieces are commissioned works, as he still continues his other projects including brand collaborations.

For Haris, uncovering his family history has added new meaning to his work.

“Malaysian culture was built by people from many different backgrounds, not just one race. For me, art teaches you a lot about history and belonging. As long as you connect to something sincerely, you can belong to it.”

Follow Haris Rashid on Instagram.