Author: liz
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Annatto
Annatto lipstick tree, achiote, slight spicy nut Annatto seeds dye. Post contributed by Ariel Dong (studio assistant at Wild Dot) The annatto tree (Bixa orellana), also known as the lipstick tree or achiote, is a hard tree to miss – especially with its bright red and hairy fruit. For those who are unfamiliar with this…
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Noni
Noni it also goes by many names such as the cheese fruit, mengkudu, aal, engkudu… Painting with Noni pigments. By Shirin Rafie. We first learnt the usage of the noni roots as a source of dye colourant while researching traditional dye plants in this region. Its scientific name, Morinda citrifolia, came up In multiple books…
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Reinvention at Singapore Science Park
“Reinvention” at Singapore Science Park As part of the Singapore Design Week, we set up a display at the Singapore Science Park with some materials from our studio. It was interesting to respond to the theme of “Reinvention”, because on the surface, we felt it was somewhat contrary, since often our practice with nature looks…
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Inkmaking with Food Waste
Inkmaking with Food Waste With the invitation of the sustainability team at Rajah & Tann, we conducted an ink making workshop based around the topic of food waste. Aligning with the company’s plan to do a corporate food rescue session at Little India, we went to join those rescue sessions ourselves to see what types…
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Sappanwood
Sappanwood of peaches, bougainvilleas, and paddle pop rainbow ice cream The first time we dyed something with sappanwood was at a permaculture farm in North Thailand. I remember the farm by the spacious sala (open pavilion) of the main house, where one could sit and have a gorgeous view of the mountains in the distance. Once…
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Rice as Binders
Rice as Binders: Community Art Exhibition “Rice as Binder” explored our continuous formation of practices, cultural identities, and personal stories connected to the varieties of rice in our supermarkets. This installation stemmed from the artists’ curiosities about the varied characteristics of different types of rice – such as colour, texture, form, and flavour – and…
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Batik Nyonyas
Batik Nyonyas: Three Generations of Art and Entrepreneurship We worked with the programming team to design and develop an interactive section in this exhibition which showcased natural dyes from with three dye plants that we grow in our studio. Placed side by side, the swatches of naturally and synthetically dyed fabrics sensitize viewers to the…
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Mango
Mango Yellow Made with the leaves of the Mangifera indica Our handmade watercolours are all available on our Etsy store. Steeped briefly in hot water, the mango leaves gift a light yellow tea which also packs a healthy punch of mangiferin. It is a favourite to make in our studio because our studio is permeated with its…
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Blue Pea
Blue Pea Green Made with the flowers of the Clitorea ternatea Our handmade watercolours are all available on our Etsy store. This may be a more familiar plant to people, as the flowers of the blue pea vine are popular as a source of blue food colouring! There is a hawker store at Marine Parade Food…
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Yellow Flame
Yellow Flame Brown Made with the bark of the Peltophorum pterocarpum Our handmade watercolours are all available on our Etsy store. At the park connector behind our current studio, there is a playground sheltered by a few of these tall Yellow Flame trees; they feel like tree guardians, holding space and shelter for people to enjoy.…