The last few years I’ve been working on dyeing and printing with plants. I’ve created botanical-print on paper & textile and started my own dye garden.
During this research I’ve created beautiful clothes, my first linen summer collection and a selection of handprinted unique t-shirts for everyday wear.
The clothing collection is called “Ode to nature”. It consists of simple wrap-style garments, based on linen and eco-printed or plant dyed patterns.
During 2023-2025 I devoted myself to master printing on linen and cotton. And even when some of the results look so inspiring and beautiful, then there is a bunch of works that have not come out as wanted. Those pieces have either found a new layer of approach, became my work clothes or test and example sheets.
With the printing process there are so many little things to consider and of course the mordating-which is the most important, if you want to get a beautiful print. For the plant prints it also matters what time of the year it is, is it a young or old plant, the soil where it has grown etc. So the outcome always will be surprise.
Dyeing with plants on the other hand is a little bit more stable, but the brightness of the color is very much depending on the amount of material.
Now I’ve also started to dye silk. And it is the most satisfying result one can see, pure luxury and beauty. Hopefully soon I can share more of those results!
On these images you can see onion skin dyed cotton for embroidery.
The fern on the right image is embroidered by hand and shimmers like golden leaves in the autumn sun.
The black linen gives a more formal look, so the garment is also suitable for office and museum context or theatre.
Emroidery is the next mission I am on for now.
How I got where I am?
And as a creator, why are you doing this?
I’ve looked for ways to capture nature and its essence in art for some time. And it made so much sense when I found out about these techniques. I felt that this is the right way to create clothing or textiles.
There are many reasons for it, first of all there are so much things in the world already and the textile industry is one of the worst pollution creating industries. So my question has been how to create in a way that its more friendly to the planet we live on!
I’d rather not make extra things that does not degrade in time and is harmful. So dyeing with plants and printing its essence was like a “heureka”. Of course there are processes where I make extra stuff thats not that supportive for the planet and throughout my study and learning phase (and practice) I’ve used farbics which I dont know where they come from and how eco-friendly has the process of their making been. But I am moving toward the more & more aware approach!
I guess thats what sustainable means.
Cause its also a word I am trying to understand in my own practice as a tiny human in this big world, with the resources I have available.