In 2021 I won the Atelier Mondial textile scholarship in Oaxaca, Mexico. The residency started in September 2021 and ends in February 2022. After four months I have already been able to deepen my project and my research has exciting results.
The theme I have set for my stay is natural pigments. All my projects are based on these.
The extraction of pigments and the production of lake pigments are the starting points of my projects. The organic pigments in powder form can be used in many different ways. I improve the extraction process and experiment with different applications.
I use the plant-dyed yarns for the technique of backstrap weaving. The pre-colonial technique uses the body to build up the tension of the threads.
I learn the technique from the masters Adeleida and Laura from the village Yalalag in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca. The exchange with the two artisans is very enriching. I show them how to dye their yarns and they teach me their craft.
The pigments I produce, I use for screen printing. My goal is to completely avoid chemicals and thus produce an environmental friendly printing paste. I am already very close to my goal. The difficulty with natural pigments is to achieve an intensive print.
At the Escuela de Muralismo de Oaxaca I learn about the world of fresco. The new area opens up completely new possibilities for me. Jesus Gutierrez teaches me how to make panels from coconut fibre and how to paint a fresco with lime. Together we work on experiments with pigments. Using the historical technique of the Maya, we prepare the organic pigments into resistant colours.
