Threads of Peru connects indigenous weavers to a global economy, allowing them to continue with traditional practices and lifestyles while earning sustainable incomes at fair trade prices. I headed a cultural research project to identify and catalog native dye plants used by weaving communities in the high Andes, organized two community dye workshops, and designed a master dye plant catalog.
Peruvians are experts at preserving cultural practices while adapting to a rapidly globalizing world. Organizations like Threads of Peru help to maintain ancient craft traditions that would otherwise be lost, along with the stories and experiences of native communities.
This book was created to catalog the different types of dye plants native to the Sacred Valley region. Each botanical illustration was painted by hand from photo references and plant samples gathered during my time in Peru. The pages were paired with color samples from the dye workshops to show the range of colors achievable with each plant and to serve as a resource for Threads of Peru and the weaving communities.
Given the widespread use of synthetic dyes and the fact that the native Quechua language has no written component, it was important to record the plants and their properties to preserve that knowledge for future generations.
Check out my gouache illustrations here.