Founder of Batik Danar Hadi passes away at 79

Santosa Doellah, founder of the renowned Indonesian batik brand Danar Hadi, passed away on 3 August as reported by Danar Hadi official Instagram account. His brother-in-law Achmad Purnomo confirmed the news and said that Santosa Doellah passed away after a 2-week hospitalisation at RS Indriati, Sukoharjo due to COVID-19. He was hospitalised along with his wife Danarsih Hadipriyono who also contracted the virus.

Santosa was born in Solo on 7 December 1941. His uncle introduced him to batik when he was 15. In 1967, he married his wife and the couple decided to establish Batik Danar Hadi. The brand started off as a small industry, but with their hard work and persistence, as well as their smart business plan, Batik Danar Hadi managed to survive and became one of the biggest batik brands in Indonesia. 

Batik Danar Hadi has opened several outlets overseas, namely in Singapore and Jeddah. In 2002, Santosa launched a book titled ‘Batik, the Impact of Time and Environment’ and in 2008 he built the House of Danar Hadi, a cultural tourism heritage complex where the Batik Kuno Museum is located.

Santosa received the ‘Empu Batik’ title from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Surakarta for his efforts in developing and preserving the batik industry in Indonesia as well as his achievement in the industry.

The Indonesian batik maestro was buried in accordance with the COVID-19 health protocols on 3 August at the Pracimaloyo Makamhaji Public Cemetery in Sukoharjo.