Block Printing, the very word calls up myriad visual images: earthy colored printed textiles drying under the sun, artisans nurturing traditional skills, communities living in harmony with nature. Yet these alluring depictions barely scratch the surface. Only repeated examinations can enable one to comprehend the intricate logic and wisdom behind the almost mysterious traditional virtuosity.
Hands-on experience with crafts often begins reciprocity and coexistence with nature. Practice and acknowledge the collective wisdom of local craftsmen with time-honored and admired skills.
Print cotton scarf with mud-resist, dye in our 2000 litre indigo vat for the elusive blues.
Surrender. And. Play.
Surrender to the current of the impulses and feelings. Let playfulness be the way of being for a day. Immerse yourself in the process of ‘making’.
Experiment and explore the beauty and magic of the two amazing ancient crafts of India.
Discover the basics of fibres. Make and dye in your own indigo sugar vat. Learn the science behind block printing techniques. Print mud-resist on a cotton scarf with wooden blocks. Tie-dye a silk scarf in madder red. Prepare dye liquor, and shift colors with iron black and indigo blue.
Let’s factor nature back in. Practice understanding craft, processes, and techniques, but more importantly, a way of seeing - while acknowledging its limitations, pressures, and fatigue.
Begin with scouring and mordanting the cloth. Make and learn the science of natural indigo vat. Prepare binders and printing pastes. Block print with mud resist and traditional inks. Nuances of woodblock carving. Use cold dyes - indigo/iron sulfate. Shibori silk scarf and dip in hot dyes with flowers, barks, roots, leaves.
Philosophical speculation, attention to detail, perspective talking, asking questions - sure are the raw materials for life, and so for crafts. An insatiable curious four-day journey into the scientific and almost mysterious virtuosity of local flora, water, and climate.
We ensure that your learnings of these crafts outlast this scheduled programme.
A self-paced inclusive module with hands-on learning and in-depth understanding with mentors and master craftspersons. Experience a grey cloth transform into a finished piece along with conversations replete with history, traditions and modern dyeing methods. Create a swatch book studded in natural colors and various block printing techniques.
So much of what propels our pursuit of beauty stems from the invisible connection between nature and labor, realized only with time. Experience of working in the crafts for six consecutive days will reveal new insights into the alchemy of multiple pre-industrial processes; aided by organic and plant produce.
We are delighted to host enthusiasts seeking to create a color palette of their own with direct and compound dyes.
More number of days means more colors. Prepare dye extracts from real dye-stuffs, understand the effects of water quality, pH and decode traditional scouring methods. Use flowers, barks, roots, insect dyes to dye protein and cellulose fibres. Set up a natural Indigo fermentation vat and make printing inks and mud resist paste. Learn woodblock making techniques and traditional, modern dyeing methods with one-to-one mentoring.
Dissolving assumed and conventional separations between notions offer a new way of retaining and expanding sensitivity to multiple inherited traditions. Be humbled by the incredible degree of diversity and regional specialisation when the boundaries amongst four ancient crafts are blurred.
We let your method and approach overtake the dominant aesthetic.
Spend a day with master block carvers, carve your own designs, and learn the craft’s nuances. Print on cotton with self-carved block designs or draw with brush, tjanting. Use traditional inks, hot wax-resist, mud-resist, shibori, tie-dye, and various natural dyes and pastes to create your collection and swatches. Insights into the nature of cellulose, protein fibers, the role of minerals, plant based mordants. Set up a natural indigo fermentation vat and learn the science of extracting indigo plant to pigment.
The process, the tempo, the structure and the way in which information was shared was excellent. I felt neither rushed nor overwhelmed over the course of the two days despite all the information I was so eager to know and learn.
The information presented with mix of theory and practical and the focus on the process was something I enjoyed the most. I really appreciate the work you have done in developing Wabisabi and your commitment to natural dyes and then to share that knowledge.
Very friendly and relaxed environment. I appreciate the deep respect you have for the craft and it’s history. I enjoyed how you let us gradually get into the groove and so much knowledge you willingly shared.
I enjoyed learning about the history and traditional processes, the flexibility of tailoring the experience to work for our unique need and the tour of Bagru. This will be our special memories I will carry away from our India trip.
I loved that we get free reign to create whatever we wanted. The space was so calm and soothing to be in, felt really at home and free to explore. Felt welcomed to ask questions.
I really enjoyed being immersed in the art of block printing and dyeing. It was an amazing experience for our entire group. I would like to come again.
The countryside location of our studio has been designed with natural ventilation in mind, with large windows and doors that allow the breeze to flow through.
The design prioritizes open spaces for people can move around and socialize freely without feeling confined. The pockets of privacy and community provide a sense of security and belonging. The studio embraces industrial style and leaves essential elements and services exposed, albeit neatly arranged, providing easy access for maintenance.
Bagru, a small village town in Rajasthan, is situated at a distance of 32 kms. south-west of Jaipur city. Its traditional processes of hand block printing on textiles with rich natural colors have been known for many centuries. With the attraction of foreign buyers for the traditional hand printed textiles, this village hums with much activity today, supplying exquisite printed materials for the export trade.
The hand printers, known as chhipas, came from Sawai Madhopur, Alwar, Jhunjhunu and Sikkar districts of Rajasthan to settle in Bagru and make it their home some 300 years ago. According to a legend, at the very outset, some two families of chhipas were brought by the Thakur of Bagru to settle in Bagru from Isarda, a village four miles from Jaipur and from then on migration of more families of chhipas continued from different places.
During the global COVID lockdowns when travel and in-person gatherings were restricted, we initiated virtual adaptations of our workshops. This innovative approach to crafting has captured our attention, and we are dedicated to enhancing its sophistication. Our primary objective remains consistent in both virtual and physical versions – to maintain a personalized and engaging experience.
In the virtual workshops, upon enrollment, we dispatch a comprehensive dye-kit containing all the necessary ingredients and detailed instructions to your doorstep. To ensure you achieve the desired results and to foster a sense of inclusion, we complement this kit with daily online personal sessions led by experienced instructors. This approach allows you to fully participate and engage, even from a distance, preserving the essence of our craft workshops.