October 25 - 29, 2017. Wednesday to Sunday.

“being (t)here” is an intensive site-specific philosophical practice, sifting the poetics of place through immersion in the local landscape. Each class is tailored to exploring its particular locality but also covers the fundamentals of bundle-dyeing on both textiles and paper. Though we work small, the techniques learned may be applied to larger projects when participants return to their own studios.

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Read the FULL WORKSHOP description.

Ajrakh is a traditional block printing technique that has been practiced for centuries.
 Natural dyes are used to create eloquent geometric patterns on cotton that reveal a remarkable play between figure and line. Blocks are hand-carved from hardwood and then used in a printing process 
that can involve between thirteen and twenty-one distinct steps. The many processes of scouring, washing, printing, dyeing, and final washing can take up to three weeks to complete. Much of the beauty and depth of Ajrakh cloth comes from the intricacy of the imprint that is left by the artisan’s hand. Instantly recognizable - there is nothing like an Ajrakh.


These Ajrakhs are made by the Khatri family residing in the Kutch desert of Gujarat, India - a family that have been block printing for over nine generations.

These intricate designs demand great focus and commitment. The marvel of a two sided ajrakh, with the pattern registered and printed once on the front and reversed on the back, is a testament to the precision and capability of the creative spirit.

Maiwa actively seeks to support ajrakh artisans who live and work in the Kutch desert. We incorporate a large amount of their textiles in our bedding and clothing lines. While we assist in procurement of raw materials, maintaining high standards of quality, and product finishing, designs remain the realm of the craftperson.

LIMITED SPACES LEFT IN THE OCTOBER LECTURES
DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO SEE:

Charllotte Kwon & Tim McLaughlin

PRECISION DYEING WITH POWER AND CONTROL

NEUTRAL TERRITORY

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WHAT SOME OF CAROL'S STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY:

The Khatris have been taking the traditional art of hand block printing into new territory with the production of works that are considered to be on the masterpiece level. These works involve the custom cutting of special blocks and the laborious charting of new geometries. Unlike anything which has been seen before in the ajrakh tradition these pieces are ample evidence of the evolution of the art by skilled hands.

Traditional block printers Jabbar and Adam Khatri took a rapt audience through the history and development of their craft. It was one of those evenings when one feels privileged to be part of a larger world - in this case that world is printed on cloth using hand-carved wooden blocks and natural dyes. Creatively this art is one of the most remarkable and eloquent ways to pattern cloth.

The evening was introduced by Liberty Erickson who recalled her own visit to the Dhamadka studio in order to set the scene. Here is her evocative text:




Good evening everyone, and welcome to the Art of Ajrakh lecture. Tonight we will transport you into the world of Ajrakh block printing; a tradition that has existed for hundreds years.

Jabbar and Adam Khatri are the 9th and 10th generation of block printers. It was Jabbar's father, Mahammad Sidik, who saw that traditional knowledge would be lost if he did not teach his children. Each of those children Razak, Ismail, and Jabbar has gone on to become a master craftsman and enjoy international recognition for their work.

Jabbar has participated in exhibitions in Europe, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, not to mention numerous exhibitions and fashion shows within India. Now his son Adam is also seeing that all over the world there is great respect for Ajrakh, and for traditional dyeing and printing techniques. 

Like many of you I have fallen captive to the beauty and the magic of ajrakh cloth. From the radiant colours to the intricate designs, one can only stop and think WOW this cloth must have a story; and it does…

In 2015 I was given the opportunity to assist Charllotte on her textile tour in India.Tonight I would like to share an excerpt from my journal of my first experience in Damadka and when I truly learnt what ajrak feels like.

“Today we arrived in Damadka.

As we all stepped off the bus I was met with an incredible heat unlike anything I had felt before … and I thought…”only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun…” and of course … enthusiastic textile lovers. 

A smiling bearded man greeted us, later I learnt he was Jabbar Khatri. As he ushered us in, I became more and more lost in the sights and sounds of this place. The rhythm of the men washing, fabric-twisting, and slapping large pieces of cotton on the sides of giant stone basins.

**Sllllaaap…woosh slllaaaaap woosh” rinsing and slapping…twiiiisting and slapping

The smell of a sweet and smokey fire rising up from under the dye pots.

And In the distance I could see loooong strips of cloth drying on the desert ground, that ground stained with blues and reds…the echos of so many lengths of cloth that had been placed here before.

We continued to where the block printers were pounding and tapping. It was something like: thump tap tap tap thump …  Thump tap tap tap thump…that sound became the pattern upon the cloth on the table…that same cloth I saw drying in the sun just behind us…I realized that this sound was ubiquitous throughout the entire space.

Thump thump tap tap thump thump tap tap… pounding thumping and tapping patterns. Like a sacred morse code telling me a story … the story of the life of ajrakh cloth.

Yes! HERE the cloth seems alive.

All of this is alive.

Now back in Vancouver I realize this cloth is no longer just a bed sheet or a table cloth…but an experience…alive and full of history that has transcended so many generations.

You see, all of the sights and sounds are held within it’s patterns  Every time I hold a piece of ajrakh in my hands I am transported back to Damadka.

Tonight this experience will be passed on to you…through Jabbar and Adam who have travelled far to be here and share with you the story of their family, the story of their ajrakh… 

Liberty Ericson

Inspired? Check out our October Lectures. 

Get Your Tickets Here

Inspired? Check out our October Lectures. 

Get Your Tickets Here

 VISIT THE COLLECTION HERE

Sizes from 30g up to 2.5kg. Our large sizes are priced at wholesale rates so that all artisans can participate in the magic that natural dyes bring.

Visit Our Collection of Natural Dyes Here

Or visit Us On Granville Island

Take advantage of free shipping on orders of $200 or more

within Canada and the Continental U.S.A.

U.S. Customers - don't forget the exchange rate works in your favour, it's like an extra discount.

Colour is unlike anything else. As an artist, to make colour with natural dyes is to experience a direct connection with your materials. And each of these materials, each dyestuff used, can be a doorway to a new world.

Putting natural colour on cloth involves the use of leaves (such as indigo and henna), barks and woods (logwood, osage), roots (madder), flowers (chamomile, marigold), fruits and nuts (walnut, myrobalan, pomegranate), minerals (alum, iron), and insects (cochineal, lac). These are just some of the classic materials that have been used for thousands of years.

The aromatic steam that rises into the air from the dyepot, especially when working outside on a cool morning, is one of the most compelling aspects of the dyer’s studio. Indeed, working with natural colour is such a sensual experience that many artisans work with natural dyestuff for the sheer pleasure of making the vat. The saturated colours of the immersed materials are also highly photogenic—as is the entire dyeing process.

Maiwa’s obsession with natural dyes is well known. What is less well known is the work that we do behind the scenes each time a shipment of natural dyestuff arrives in our warehouse.

Our role is a bit like that of a master vintner who evaluates multiple grape harvests to make an exceptional wine. We do a complete set of sample tests to evaluate the shade and strength of our shipment. Dyes from natural sources will change with each season. If there has been only little rain one year, the concentration of dyestuff in the plant will alter. So we often combine and blend stocks from multiple years to ensure that the raw dyestuff will yield consistent results. 

At Maiwa our policy is to acquire the raw dyestuff in its most elemental form (wood chips, roots, petals) so that we can ensure purity. We then process it into the form (usually a powder) that works best for the artisan dyer. We use natural dyes extensively in our own production, so we can ensure that each package contains a product we would be proud to use ourselves.

Visit Our Collection of Blank Textiles Here