Dipping into nature’s palette

It’s a chilly October afternoon in a tiny village on the outskirts of Shaxi, Yunnan, nestled within rugged mountains and golden paddy fields. I’m here on a slow living retreat to learn natural dyeing, hosted by Shenzhen native Ting Wang.

In the backyard of her rustic two-storey home, we peel and chop five kilos of overripe bananas and apples. The airy space is scattered with a dozen or so dye vats. Hundreds of walnut shells lay drying across the ground, while piles of chopped firewood sit neatly in the corner. We boil the fruits over a hot charcoal stove until they become pulped water. Then, we stir this into a mixture of indigo paste and limestone powder, carefully transferring it all into an enormous ceramic vat.

The post Dipping into nature’s palette appeared first on SilverKris.

from SilverKris