Image credit: Alex Hagen.

We have added more expert workshops to our 2020 events programme: Block Printing with Molly Mahon in April; Shibori and Indigo Dyeing with Alex Hagen; and Japanese Katazome printing with Sarah Desmarais, both in July. All are one day workshops held at London studios.

Molly Mahon’s printed fabrics bring cloth and colour alive. Based in Sussex, Molly is a British printmaker whose designs are applied to fabrics, wallpapers and a growing range of homewares. Inspired by nature, travels to India and inspiration from her daily life, Molly turns images into repeat designs and carves them into a wooden block which is then used to print. Her first commission came from a friend who wanted some block printed wallpaper for her newly arrived Shepherds Hut and she has not looked back since, setting up her own thriving textile company. 

Image credit: Molly Mahon.

Alex Hagen is a textile artist who specialises in the Japanese stitch resist technique of Shibori and the use of indigo and other botanical dyes. Shibori is a slow and complex process. Each piece of fabric is hand stitched, when the threads have been pulled up and tied off the fabric is repeatedly dyed in an indigo vat. The fabric is rinsed and finally the stitches are removed to reveal the resist. Alex is interested in the relationship between pattern and empty space, the transitions from dark to light. Her approach considers the environmental impact of working with textiles. She sees herself as part of a growing movement which encourages slow making and slow consumption.

Image credit: Sarah Desmarais.

Sarah Desmarais is a textile designer maker and crafts researcher. She produces hand-printed textiles with the traditional materials of Japanese katazome or stencil dyeing - paper stencils and a rice paste resist that is washed out after dyeing to leave a white pattern on a coloured ground. Her designs derive from drawing and mark making in a variety of wild and weathered landscapes. Her work celebrates the value of slow making and its potential to contribute to a more sustainable culture of textile production and consumption. She has recently undertaken artist residencies with Bow Arts and the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture, and supervises doctoral research at the Royal College of Art. 

For more information on all of our 2020 workshops and to book your place visit our Workshops page.