Gallery: Indonesian music and art showcased at Harmoni Indonesia: Batik Event

Second-year World Music masters student Gabriel Roethle (left) teaches Rafif Imawan, third-year political science doctoral student, the Javanese gendèr during the Harmoni Indonesian: Batik Event on Thursday in Watson Hall. The Indonesian class held their annual Batik event featuring traditional Indonesian musical performances, food and crafting Batik artwork. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star)

By Sofia Howell, Photojournalist

Apr 8, 2026

NIU Indonesian Instructor Rahmi Aoyama welcomes everyone to Harmoni Indonesia: Batik event on Thursday in the World Language Learning Center at Watson Hall. Aoyama received her doctorate in Instructional Technology from NIU. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star) (Sofia Howell)

Second-year World Music graduate student Gabriel Roethle plays the traditional Balinese piece “Merak Angelo” on a Javanese gendèr at the Harmoni Indonesia: Batik event on Thursday in Watson Hall. Gamelan Gendèr wayang is a musical ensemble consisting of 10-keyed bronze metallophones played in pairs with mallets. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star) (Sofia Howell)

NIU Beginning Indonesian II students perform a traditional Saman dance named “Dance of a Thousand Hands” during the Harmoni Indonesian: Batik event on Thursday. Saman dances are a combination of synchronized hand clapping, chest slapping and torso movements by seated dancers. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star) (Sofia Howell)

A group of NIU Beginning Indonesian II students perform a traditional Saman Dance called “Dance of a Thousand Hands” at the Harmoni Indonesian: Batik Event on Thursday. Saman Dance originates from the Gayo ethnic group. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star) (Sofia Howell)

Senior anthropology and history major Angie Gutierrez (top) guides event attendees senior kinesiology major Jacob Delk (left) and Northbrook resident Helene Beckman on creating Batik designs during the Harmoni Indonesian: Batik Event on Thursday in Watson Hall. Batik fabric is an early art form of wax designs on cloth and colored with dye. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star) (Sofia Howell)

Second-year World Music Pedagogy masters student Elizabeth Vieyra creates Batik Art on cloth with melted wax during the Harmoni Indonesian: Batik Event on Thursday in Watson Hall. The instructors of the Batik Event provided predrawn fabrics, stencils and blank fabrics to create Batik designs on. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star) (Sofia Howell)

Alma Olvera, mother of a Saman dance performer, holds a canting tool to create Batik design on cloth during the Harmoni Indonesian: Batik Event on Thursday in Watson Hall. A canting tool has a spout to fill with wax to draw different patterns on the fabric. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star) (Sofia Howell)

Senior finance majors Andrew Valentin (right) and Kevin Culkeen use a canting tool to create Batik design on cloth during the Harmoni Indonesian: Batik Event on Thursday in Watson Hall. Batik art originates from Java in Indonesia. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star) (Sofia Howell)

NIU Associate Dean for Collections Management Gwen Gregory dyes a cloth as part of the Batik art process during the Harmoni Indonesian: Batik Event on Thursday in Watson Hall. After dyeing the cloth and it has dried, the wax is removed in boiling water. (Sofia Howell | Northern Star) (Sofia Howell)

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About the Contributor

Sofia Howell

Sofia Howell, Former Photojournalist