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On the Map 2022, #5 Valentin Bakardjiev in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

This is an indigo journey from a visual artist Valentin Bakardjiev in Amsterdam, Netherlands. I hope you enjoy his experimental gardening and pigment making processes with indigo.

This episode provides three different languages include Bulgarian, Dutch, and English.


1. Location & Environment

All photos were submitted by Valentin Bakardjiev


I am based in Amsterdam- the capital of The Netherlands. The Netherlands have a temperate maritime climate influenced by the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean, with cool summers and moderate winters. Daytime temperatures varies from 2°C- 6°C in the winter and 17°C- 20°C in the summer.


In 2020 I have been invited from Tolhuistuin* to use their facilities and to make my experimental garden to research the whole process of Indigo- from seed to pigment.

*The Tolhuistuin Foundation provides the space to participate through the imagination in the development of the city towards a sustainable model of existence, based on the principle of radical inclusivity. Based on the power of art and culture, makers and visitors work on inspiration, new angles, a sense of community, innovation and relaxation, always from the local context of Amsterdam North.



2. Indigo plants & practices


During my art study in Sliven/Bulgaria (from where I’m from) I specialized textile art and techniques for 5 years. Back then my interest started in old crafts and techniques which I was implementing in my art. I was living in the Dominican Republic for several years, also Milan/ Italy, I also have some months living in Oslo/Norway and the last 15 years I’m resident in Amsterdam/The Netherlands, where I started my art project Le Grand Bleu. During those years I have met many colorful and distinctive cultures, I learned about their art and traditions and here in Amsterdam realized that I don’t need many colors to express in my art. With the blue color of Indigo I can tell many stories, inspire people and express the whole landscape of emotions and feelings.

In 2016 I used, for the first time, natural Indigo dye as the base of my project Le Grand Bleu in which I apply Japanese traditional dyeing technique Shibori on different papers. Since I discovered the unique properties of Indigo, I wanted to learn more about the whole process of growing, extracting pigment through fermentation, dry leaf’s approach and other different ways of using the pigment.

Following the ancient information about Indigo and Shibori, I was guided by contemporary growers (Brittany Boles, Marian Gorostizaga) on how to grow seeds from Japanese indigo. I received my first Persicaria tinctoria (Koujoko)- seeds from Marian Gorostizaga - kokoroindigoculture.com in Spain.

Following the steps I managed to grow Indigo from seeds, extracted Indigo pigment through fermentation, prepared dry leaf’s for dying from which I also made an artwork celebrating the beauty of the indigo plant.


3. Culture & Story of the region


The Netherlands, a country in northwestern Europe, is known for a flat landscape of canals, tulip fields, windmills and cycling routes. Amsterdam, the capital, is home to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the house where Jewish diarist Anne Frank hid during WWII. Canalside mansions and a trove of works from artists including Rembrandt and Vermeer remain from the city's 17th-century "Golden Age." Amsterdam is colloquially referred to as the "Venice of the North", due to the large number of canals which form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Personally I speak Bulgarian, Spanish, English ,Russian and Dutch language. And I’m very happy to live in Amsterdam which is home to 180 different nationalities, one of the widest varieties of nationalities of any city in the world. My blue artworks representing the endless sky and the deepest ocean inspiring people towards unity and solidarity of the world, found its roots perfectly In the city of Amsterdam- famous as the capital of Denim, Deft Blauw ceramics amongst others.

Holland may not be known for its beautiful weather, but it is known for its beautiful skies. The lovely cumulus clouds inspired many famous Dutch painters in times past.


A shorter version of Valentin's indigo story (English to Bulgarian and Dutch)

“Indigo is the only colour capable of connecting disciplines, people, cultures and places around the world”. Jenny Balfour Paul

My first Indigo Garden- from seeds to pigment.

My first research and try-outs of using natural colours and dyes were during my art education.

In 2016 I used for the first time natural Indigo dye as the base of my project Le Grand Bleu in which I apply the Japanese technique Shibori on different papers.

Since I discovered the unique properties of the Indigo I wanted to know more about the whole process of growing , extracting pigment through fermentation, dry leaf’s and the different ways of using the pigment. The oldest known fabric dyed indigo, dated to 6,000 years ago, was discovered in Peru. One of the earliest written descriptions of Shibori dates to 238 CE.

Following the ancient information about Indigo and Shibori, I was guided by contemporary growers on how to grow seeds from Japanese indigo.

I received my first Persicaria tinctoria (Koujoko) – seeds from Marian Gorostizaga- kokoroindigoculture.com Spain. In 2020 I have been invited from Tolhuistuin* to use their facilities and to make my experimental garden to research the whole process of Indigo.

*Tolhuistuin provides the space to participate through the imagination in the development of the city towards a sustainable model of existence, based on the principle of radical inclusivity. Based on the power of art and culture, makers and visitors work on inspiration, new angles, a sense of community, innovation and relaxation, always from the local context of Amsterdam North.


My incredible indigo journey in pictures:

- Planting and growing.

- Extracted Indigo pigment through fermentation.

- Prepared dry leafs for dyeing

- I made an artwork from the dry Leaf’s celebrating the indigo plant

- Collected seeds for the next planting.


Bulgarian version

"Индигото е единственият цвят, който е способен да свърже дисциплини, хора, култури и места по целия свят." Джени Балфур Пол

Моята първа индигова градина - от семена до пигмент.

Първите ми изследвания и опити за използване на естествени цветове и багрила бяха по време на моето художествено образование.

През 2016 г. за първи път използвах естествена боя Indigo като основа на моя проект Le Grand Bleu („Голямото синьо“), в който прилагам японската техника Shibori върху различни хартии.

Тъй като открих уникалните свойства на индигото, исках да науча повече за целия процес на отглеждане, извличане на пигмент чрез ферментация, сухи листа и различните начини на използване на пигмента. Най-старата известна тъкан, боядисана в индиго, датирана от преди 6000 години, е открита в Перу. Едно от най-ранните писмени описания на Шибори датира от 238 г. н.е.

Следвайки древната информация за Индиго и Шибори, бях напътстван от съвременни специалисти как да отглеждам растения от японско индиго.

Получих първата си Persicaria tinctoria (Koujoko)- семена от Marian Gorostizaga- kokoroindigoculture.com Испания.

През 2020 г. бях поканен от Tolhuistuin* да използвам техните съоръжения и да направя моята експериментална градина, за да изследвам целия процес на отглеждане на индиго.

*Tolhuistuin предоставя пространство за участие чрез въображението в развитието на града към устойчив модел на съществуване, основан на принципа на радикалната приобщаване. Въз основа на силата на изкуството и културата, творците и посетителите работят върху вдъхновение, нови гледни точки, чувство за общност, иновация и релаксация, свързани с Амстердам Север.

Моето невероятно индиго пътешествие в снимки:

- Засаждане и отглеждане.

- Извлечен индиго пигмент чрез ферментация.

- Подготвени сухи листа за оцветяване.

- Направих произведение на изкуството от сухия лист, честващо растението индиго

- Събрани семена за следващо засаждане


Dutch version

Mijn eerste Indigo Tuin - van zaden tot pigment.

Mijn eerste onderzoek en try-outs van het gebruik van natuurlijke kleuren en kleurstoffen waren tijdens mijn kunstopleiding. In 2016 heb ik voor het eerst natuurlijke Indigo kleurstof gebruikt als basis voor mijn project Le Grand Bleu waarin ik de Japanse techniek Shibori op verschillende papiersoorten aanbreng. Sinds ik de unieke eigenschappen van de Indigo ontdekte, wilde ik meer weten over het hele groeiproces, het extraheren van pigment door fermentatie, droog blad en de verschillende manieren om het pigment te gebruiken. De oudste stof geverfd met indigo is gedateerd op 6000 jaar geleden, werd ontdekt in Peru. Een van de vroegste schriftelijke beschrijvingen van Shibori dateert uit 238 in de christelijke jaartelling.


Na de oude informatie over Indigo en Shibori, werd ik begeleid door hedendaagse kwekers over het kweken van zaden van Japanse indigo. Ik ontving mijn eerste Persicaria Tinctoria (Koujoko)-zaden van Marian Gorostizaga-kokoroindigoculture.com Spanje. In 2020 ben ik uitgenodigd door Tolhuistuin om gebruik te maken van hun faciliteiten en om mijn proeftuin te maken om het hele proces van Indigo te onderzoeken. Stichting Tolhuistuin geeft de ruimte om via de verbeelding deel te nemen aan de ontwikkeling van de stad naar een duurzaam bestaansmodel, gebaseerd op het principe van radicale inclusiviteit. Vanuit de kracht van kunst en cultuur werken makers en bezoekers aan inspiratie, nieuwe invalshoeken, gemeenschapszin, innovatie en ontspanning, altijd vanuit de lokale context van Amsterdam Noord.


Mijn ongelooflijke indigo-reis in foto’s:

- Planten en groeien.

- Geëxtraheerd indigo pigment door fermentatie.

- Droge bladeren klaargemaakt om te verven.

- Ik heb een kunstwerk gemaakt van de droge bladeren die de indigoplant vieren.

- Verzamelde zaden voor de volgende aanplant.


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*LINK FOR THE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/lMvrlFQ5uSQ


 
 

On the Map 2022, #4 Bernadette Puleo in Long Island, NY

Updated: Mar 15, 2022

Happy March 1st!

The first indigo story in March is from Bernadette Puleo who is a textile artist, indigo grower, and founder of Indigo Garden Arts Studio located in Long Island, New York.


Introduction from Bernadette Puleo



My name is Bernadette Puleo and for as long as I can remember I have been painting, drawing, and making things with the cloth. Being a seeker, I am always looking to explore new avenues of creativity. So, in 2002, when I saw a small classified ad for indigo seeds in the back of Fiber Arts magazine, I decided to order them. This started my investigation of the mysterious Persicaria Tinctoria or as it is commonly known - Japanese Indigo. Indican, which produces the indigo pigment, resides within the leaf of the plant. It is the magical process in which the indigo pigment expresses itself on cloth through oxidation, that captivated me.

One can literally watch the color change from yellow to green to indigo blue! I consider myself a messenger of one of nature’s secrets.


Through the years I have used my indigo-dyed cloth to embed in pulp to create pulp paintings, experimented with shibori techniques to make resist patterns on cloth, and more recently used the pigment to create embroideries and watercolor paintings. This is just the beginning of my exploration of this marvelous pigment. I look forward to the journey that lies ahead.


After I retired from my career in which I designed prints and embroideries for the children’s apparel market, I decided to devote my energies to Indigo full time. At the end of 2021, I officially opened my business in which I plan to share my knowledge of indigo, encourage others to try growing and dyeing, and offer my creations to those who would just like to possess cloth or artwork made from this magical pigment.

You can follow my story and keep up with my offerings on Instagram

@indigogardenarts or Bernadette.puleo and Facebook/Indigo Garden Arts


1. Location & Environment



I reside on the east coast of the United States on Long Island, the town of Huntington, in the state of New York. This area is growing zone 7b. My home is on a 7-acre parcel of land which used to be a nursery for landscape plants and shrubs but is mostly wooded now. The land is also on a hillside which makes it difficult to plant a substantial amount of indigo, but there is a patch of land that is cleared out and in a sunny enough location that I am able to cultivate my plants.


All photos were submitted by Bernadette Puleo, the founder of Indigo Garden Arts Studio


2. Indigo plants & practices


The best indigo plant for my growing zone is Persicaria Tinctoria (formally known as Polygonum Tinctorium) or as commonly known as Japanese Indigo. It is not native to my area and is considered an annual. Therefore I must start the seeds every year. This can be a little tricky as our Spring season has been very cool the last few years. I start them indoors without grow lights. I place them in a west-facing window in a portable greenhouse that has 5 shelves.


Once they germinate, which takes about 7 days, I constantly turn them so they grow as straight as possible. I also plant a few seeds per cell because they support each other as they grow. I only start them in mid-April - 3-4 weeks before I bring them outdoors. Otherwise, they get too leggy and weaken.


Once outside, I keep them in my vertical covered greenhouse so I can protect them from the cool night air. In another 3 weeks or so, at the end of May, when the plants have become more established and the soil is about 65ºF, they are ready to be planted in my rototilled field.

My rows are a little closer than recommended because of my lack of space but the plants don’t seem to mind. At that time I feed them with Fish Emulsion to provide the nitrogen that they love. This year for the first time I plan on laying some hay mulch to discourage weeds and conserve moisture. Whatever doesn’t fit in my field, I pot up to sell at fairs and farmer’s markets.



By mid-July, I am ready to harvest for the first time. Being that I work alone, I harvest about 5 lbs (2.26kg) at a time which yields 213g pigment that reduces to 36g of dried pigment. I love everything about the Aqueous Precipitation Extraction process. Being that I ferment my plant material in a very warm, sunny place, they usually are ready in 24 hours to aerate and flocculate. Fresh leaf stamping and dyeing are also some of my favorite practices. I not only use the pigment for dyeing, but I also make watercolor paint and soft pastels to use in my art. I am constantly amazed at how many colors indigo so generously gives me through the dyeing process.



Along with cooler Springs, I have also witnessed warmer Autumns which provides the time for my plants to go to seed. I have been able to keep my plants in the ground all the way to November the past few years when I pull them and dry them indoors before a frost warning. I will then harvest the seeds, winnow them and prepare them for planting. The cycle begins again. I have to thank Rowland Ricketts (rickettsindigo.com), John Marshall (johnmarshall.to), and Brittany Boles and her awesome FB group Indigo Pigment Extraction Methods for their generosity in sharing their knowledge, without whom I would have never progressed this far in my journey.


If you are interested in hearing more of my story you can watch my interview on Brittany Boles's “Blue Biographies” series on Facebook. I am episode #8 in the first season. The series resides in her IPEM group as mentioned above. I am inspired by all my fellow indigo growers and artisans, too many to name.


3. Culture & Story of the region



I am a 2nd generation American of Italian descent. I grew up on Staten Island, a borough of New York City, where my dad had a lush terraced garden in our backyard. As a little girl, I called it my secret garden. I inherited my love for gardening and beautiful natural scenery from my dad. My grandparents planted a huge garden when they moved to Staten Island from Manhattan in the 1920s. I speak English exclusively as my parents only spoke Italian when they didn’t want me to know what they were talking about.


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On the Map 2022, #3 Aibatake (琉球藍染め 藍ばたけ) in Okinawa, Japan

Updated: Feb 16, 2022

This is a story about Aibatake Studio which is a Ryukyu indigo dyeing & farming studio located in Okinawa, Japan.


1. Location & Environment


Our region has a subtropical climate, and our field is surrounded by trees in the mountains. The indigo plants we are growing need damp and shade conditions, and can’t stand cold and sea wind. We shade our field with trees or shading nets, and take care not to dry the soil.

This type of indigo plant can grow naturally under banana trees or in the thicket, if conditions are right.


私たちの地域は亜熱帯地方に属し、畑は木々に囲まれた山の中にあります。

私たちが育てている藍はジメジメした日陰を好み、寒さと潮風が苦手です。

私たちは樹木や遮光ネットで遮光をし、なるべく土が乾かないように気を付けています。

この藍はバナナの樹の下や薮の中など、条件が整えば自生します。


All photos were submitted by Yumiko Fuji from Aibatake


2. Indigo plants & practices


We are growing indigo plants called Ryukyu-ai(琉球藍) in Japanese.

Ryukyu-ai means Assam-indigo in English.

The scientific name is Strobilanthes Cusia. It is a plant of the Acanthaceae family.

This plant is mainly cultivated in subtropical regions and in highlands in tropical regions.


私たちは日本語で「琉球藍」とよばれる植物を育てています。

琉球藍は英語でアッサムインディゴといいます。

学名は Strobilanthes Cusia、キツネノマゴ科の植物です。

琉球藍は、主に亜熱帯地域と熱帯地域の高地で栽培されています。


Harvest

When Ryukyu-ai grows about 60cm tall, we cut the roots of the stem and harvest.

The harvest season happens twice a year, around June and October. Harvested stumps regenerate and are harvested again in the next season.

We harvest around 40 - 50kg at one time, and 15 or more times in one season if it's a bumper crop.


収穫

私たちは畑の琉球藍が60㎝位の高さに育つと、茎の下方から切り取って収穫します。

収穫時期は年に2度、6月頃と10月頃です。収穫後に残った切り株は、また再生し、次の時期に収穫されます。

１回の収穫量は40～50kgで、１収穫期中に多い時で１５回以上収穫をします。


Making indigo paste / 泥藍づくり

Harvested indigo plants are immersed in water and fermented.

Fermentation is carried out over 1 to 3 days, depending on water temperature.

We add only water with the ingredients (not indigo plants) dissolved in it, and mix in a moderate amount of slaked lime.

At this point, indigo dye is born by chemical reaction.

After leaving overnight, indigo that has become an insoluble compound precipitates in the water.

The precipitated indigo is purified through rinsing and straining repeatedly because it has impurities.


収穫した藍を、水に浸けて発酵させます。

その時の水温によって1日から3日ほど発酵させると、植物から成分の溶け出した水だけにして、適量の石灰を入れ攪拌します。

この時、化学反応によりインディゴが生まれます。

ちなみに取り出された発酵後の藍の残渣は、堆肥として畑へ帰ります。

その後1日置くと、水に溶けないインディゴが沈殿します。

沈殿したインディゴには不純物が混ざっているので、何度もすすぎ、濾して、精製します。


Finally, we drain it through cloth and make a paste.

This paste is called Doroai (泥藍) in Japanese.

It takes at least one week from harvest to finish to make the indigo paste.


最後に布で水を切ってインディゴをペースト状にします。

このペーストを「泥藍」と呼んでいます。

収穫から泥藍ができるまで、早くて1週間程です。



Dyeing

We retain the finished indigo paste and use it as needed.

The process of making insoluble indigo paste into dyeing liquid is called Ai Date (藍建て) in Japanese. We do this process with the help of fermentation, using a moderate amount of the indigo paste, water, lye, liquor and starch syrup or honey.

Dyeing liquid is ready in 3 days at the earliest, according to the temperature.


藍建て

私たちは作った泥藍を保管し、必要な時に染めに使います。

不溶性の泥藍を染め液にする工程を「藍建て」と呼んでいます。

泥藍・水・灰汁・酒（泡盛）・水あめまたは蜂蜜を適量使用し、発酵の作用によって藍建てをします。

気温により早くて3日ほどで、染め液ができます。


We then use the dye liquid in Katazome (stencil dye), Shiborizome (tie dye) and other methods. We also dye with shell ginger or Fukugi (garcinia spicata) in rare cases.


型染めや絞り染めなどの方法で染めています。


私たちの工房では、稀に月桃・フクギなどの草木染めをする事があります。


3. Culture & Story of the region


We are active in Okinawa, Japan.

Japanese is currently used here.

There used to be a kingdom called Ryukyu in this region, but that country was integrated into Japan in the 19th century. Also, Okinawa was put under the administration of the USA as part of Japan's defeat in World War II. It was returned to Japan in 1972.

Therefore, Okinawa has a mixture of many cultures.

It’s the only subtropical region in Japan, so methods of indigo dyeing used here are closer to those of the Southeast Asian region than mainland Japan.


私たちは沖縄で活動しています。

こちらでは現在日本語が使われています。

この地域には、かつて琉球という国がありましたが19世紀に日本に統一されました。

また、第二次世界大戦後は日本の敗戦に伴い米国の統治下に置かれ、1972年に日本に返還されました。

この為、沖縄には色々な文化が混在しています。

日本の中で唯一の亜熱帯地域であり、藍染めの方法も日本本土より東南アジア周辺に近いです。


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