Ai-zome Indigo Dyeing Workshop

September 28, 2019

Design and dye your own beautiful ai-zome pattern on cloth to take home!

Indigo blue, known as ai, is one of Japan’s most loved and significant colours. Made from the leaves of the Japanese indigo plant, ai has been used since as early as the 6th century. It will also be the colour of the official logo for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Ai is said to carry many useful properties: it acts as an insect repellent, shields against sunburn, and is allergy-free.

In this workshop, participants will learn about the traditional art of ai-zome (indigo dyeing) and how to dye a towel using ai powder. All materials provided; participants are encouraged to bring their own item to dye such as a t-shirt or tote bag (note: items for dyeing must be small and made from natural materials). Due to time constraints, only one item may be dyed per person per session.

This workshop is for school-aged children. Best suited for ages 7-12. Children under the age of 6 will require the assistance of a parent or guardian (parents/guardians accompanying children are free).

This workshop is presented by The Japan Foundation, Sydney and Simply Native Japan.

Simply Native Japan is a project coordination agency and product distributor of traditional handmade crafts from Japan. Founded in 2016 by Yukino Matsumoto, the daughter of a traditional kimono (Japanese clothing textiles) family, Simply Native Japan represents the belief that beauty in the simplest form can be found in craftsmanship and its connection to the artisan. Working closely with the artisans, Simply Native Japan aims to introduce traditional Japanese crafts into the modern lifestyle.

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