Philippines Textile Residency
In 2015, with the support from the Maharam STEAM Fellowship Grant I traveled to the Philippines for 9 weeks of applied research and design. Through a collaboration with textile artist Emilie Jehng, The Office of Culture and Design, Class Act Foundation, and the Tubigon Loom Weavers Multi-purpose Cooperative (TLMPC) we researched the economic, creative, and environmental feasibility of natural dye processes in the fishing town of Tubigon, Bohol. Tubigon is a coastal community where many incomes are marine dependent. With ocean life in direct threat due to overfishing, natural disasters, and global warming, weaving provides an alternative livelihood to fishing and redirects the economy so the marine habitat may regenerate. The nine weeks were split between Manila and Bohol. In Manila we worked with the Philippines Textile Research and Design, to learn about natural dye extraction methods from indigenous plants. With our gained knowledge we traveled to Tubigon to collaborate with TLMPC to collectively explore avenues for naturally dyed fibers within the coop's woven fabrics. Throughout our stay in Tubigon, we also sought out ways to combine two skills of the community, fishing and weaving, into a single process. We did this by combining fishing materials and naturally dyed fibers in woven fabric and bags, to create a physical representation of the community, and bring the men and women together in the process. Male fishermen, ex-fishermen, and teenage boys participated and engaged with the natural dye, weaving, and bag making processes. By the end of our stay, we saw a large percentage of male participation, in what is often female dominated work.
More information/ blog posts can be found on the Maharam STEAM Homepage.
September 2015