“Shades of Blue”, the many lives of Indigo is an exhibition, celebration about Indigo, the pigment, the dye, the plants, the processes that gives the magical colour blue that has been capturing the imagination of many around the world by century.
During 5 weeks from 26th September, I will be offering knowledge, sharing with dyers and practitioners from around the work. Offering in person and online classes all related to Indigo.
“SHADES OF BLUE, The many lives of Indigo”, Opening 26th September at 2.30pm The Auld Kirk Museum, Kirkintilloch, Scotland (FOC, last day 29th of October) scroll below for all program (MORE TO BE ADDED)
The exhibition is about the journey of Indigo dyer and teacher Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw and focuses over the last 7 years. While discovering Indigo via a dark blue generated by a chemical Thiox vat, Elisabeth went on during the last 10 years discovering how and where this blue came from, believing that a dye pot that produced such a beautiful colour could not possible have such a terrible smell such as the chemical vat. She discovered earlier on that Natural dye pots using natural pigment or better composted fresh leaves smell of cut grass, come in all shapes and sizes and are made from many plants in many different ways.
Since 2019 she has been travelling the world to learn from comtemporary artisans and teachers the many way of Indigo, which she calls the many lives of Indigo. From fermented Sukumo in Japan to dark Indigo pigment of Marocco, from Michel Garcia simple 123 sugar vat to the complicated fermented vat rediscovered by Kencho Dekar masterdyer in Bhutan she has been looking at, tried to understand and connected many dyers. She has made her own choice with a vat popular in European traditional Indigo dyeing, The Ferrous vat after studying with French masterdyer David Santandreu creating “Betty Blue” her 200 litre studio vat which is always life 24/7 all year around. And she has started teaching it wherever she visits, Mexico, Thailand, France… But she also keeps wanting to learn and connect. For that reason she visits some places and endlessly exchange with dyers. She calls her Thai brothers Mann craft in Sakhon Nakhon and Khun Sak in Chiangmai grow plants for her and share their recipes in an attemps to capture the best blue.
In 2022 The Glasgow Botanical garden offered her a space to grow Japanese Indigo and Woad in a tiny garden she called @ The Indigo plot. There for several years she grew two large beds that she shared comes the autumn in an exhibition “Feeling Blue” in the garden’s Kibble palace.
THE INDIGO PLOT AND FRESH LEAVES DYEING OPPORTUNITY
In 2026, The Auld Kirk museum in Kirkintilloch has offered her a space to share what she has learned in the past 7 years in a 5 weeks exhibition of plants, yarn, dyes, artwork and knowledge. The exhibition will be only partly about Elisabeth’s own work. It will be mainly a way for her to share what she has learned about Indigo with the general public and she hopes they will travel from far.
In 2026 The Indigo plot has moved just outside The Barony Hall outside The Auld Kirk and in a great box Elisabeth is growing with the help of the Museum staff 600 plants of Japanese Indigo with an aim to share the fresh leaves dyeing with the public during the exhibition. It is hoped that children will also be present to discover the magical blue.
TALKS ONLINE, WORKSHOPS IN PERSON, WEEK’S INDIGO DYEING RETREAT, ARTIST GUIDED VISITS (PROGRAM TO BE CONFIRMED)
As well as the exhibition there will be a program of talks online by Elisabeth’s Indigo family from around the world (Bhutan, Mexico, Thailand, Australia and off course the UK), some dyers and practitioners., some artist guided visits, a day workshop in Shibori dyeing, a specialised 2 day workshop with Thai masterdyer Mann Craft from Northern Thailand about many vats making, a full week residence about print resist and ferrous vat in Elisabeth’s studio. Program to follow will be below. Check again…
Below information and booking form for the week’s residential retreat
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITY:
Elisabeth is offering a collaboration to 100 indigo dyers to collaborate by sharing a skein of their yarn that will be incorporated find here the detail
As part of “Shades of Blue” I will run a 4 sessions online print making course using a Ferrous vat and a resist to create prints on Indigo dyed fabric with Plants and Colors, find info below on the content and booking method.
The exhibition will open on 26th of September at 2.30pm At The Auld Kirk with a conversation about sustainable Indigo dyeing between Mann Craft dyer from Sakhon Nakhon thailand and Elisabeth. (FOC)
The exhibition will be opened from 26th till 29th October, FOC, Monday to Saturday 10 to 5 (with lunch break between 1/2), there is local parking, It is possible to come by public transport (Bus 89) from Glasgow… I am sure there is a bus from Edinburgh too. And there are many coffee shops in Kirkintilloch.
This page will be updated soon with more information but :
KEEP THE DATE
Looking forward to see you there in September.
Love Betty xx
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