Proxy x Textile Initiative:
Death & Dyeing – Limo Hair, Sophie de Serière
Sunday 26th April 2026
Location: Hartwig Proxy
Death & Dyeing is a combined storytelling and dyeing workshop that traces how black and other colours became associated with mourning in Europe and their influence on Dutch dress traditions, including klederdracht. The workshop focused on the historical context of mourning clothing and scarf wearing in the Netherlands and the specific hues of blue, purple and black related to the different stages of grieving. Artists, Limo Hair and Sophie de Serière, taught participants the history of black textiles and how to dye black naturally.
The workshop began with an introduction to historic natural dye recipes for black and explained the use of materials such as logwood, tannins, and iron. Together we dyed silk scarves using a recipe based on these historic methods.