Bio

The Alchemy of Dyeing is an immersive research platform and workshop conceived by fashion designer Mehru Khan and artist Nahla Tabbaa that dives into the alchemy of colour making, urban foraging, textile dyeing, chromophobia, taste making and other complexities around organic dyeing.

The research undertaken explores and maps local material, plants and pigments available for dyeing practices, as well as different methods of dyeing alchemically. The workshops combine theory, discussions, one-on-one crits, demonstrations, field trips and assignments. As a result, participants will familiarize themselves with the history of selected colours, colour extraction techniques, fabric selections, logbook making and finally move into creating a final piece and unpacking its relevance within the region and trend forecasting.

Both Mehru and Nahla see themselves as teachers and learners, and see this as an opportunity to cross pollinate, collaborate, and contribute to each other’s practices. Their teaching approach is fluid, discursive and generative- and look forward to shared edification through the findings of the participants of the course.