The Garden of Delights – Miriam Del Seppia, Masha Maroz
Sunday 7th July 2024
Location: I can change the world with my two hands
This workshop integrated two parts – a practical experimentation of making plant-based natural dyes and screen printing onto textiles under the guidance of the artist Miriam Del Seppia; and a theoretical part, during which the artist and researcher Masha Maroz introduced the concept of the ‘Garden of Delights’ from Belarusian traditional culture, on the basis of which participants were invited to compose their own cryptographic ornamental messages using the screen printing techniques onto textiles.
The workshop took place in the community garden ‘I can change the world with my two hands’ in Amsterdam West. During the process we explored colours from flowers and plants of the garden. Bright yellows were our guides. We went through some basics of botanical dyeing and tested different types of natural fibres and mordants. We experimented with screen printing techniques to create our own botanical alphabet. We explored the space of myth and immersed ourselves in the cultural codes of tradition.
By the end of this event every participant had crafted their own one-of-a-kind piece, imbued with the symbolism of Belarusian traditional culture through their own interpretation and new knowledge of botanical dyeing and plants.