Living Indigo
A crystal derived from a local Thai plant
As with most endangered crafts, indigo dye-making requires a great deal of experience. Making indigo colour and maintaining the dye tank’s ‘life’ requires a lot of work, time, and local ingredients.
The indigo tank is alive. There are micro-organisms that live in the tank with the indigo, created by the fermentation of the leaves of indigo plant, ashes, herbs, and sugar. This organic compound is a precursor to indigo dye.
I am introducing new processes to the traditional craft techniques of indigo-dyed fabrics through the novel use of the crystallisation of indigo to produce yarn that can be woven back into traditional patterns. Through this crystallisation process, the indigo changes over time, which reflects the need for this craft to either grow or die.
Prima Nontakaew
prmprim@hotmail.com
prima-n.com