Adire Textile Design Sampler Workshop

Service Description

Offered seasonally as part of the Indigo Dye Village Workshop Series The Adire Textile Design Sampler Workshop is a signature Indigo Dye Village workshop experience held in the Indigo Dye Kitchen at Ajanku Art Studio, where participants explore the rich traditions of Adire textile design through hands-on learning, experimentation, and cultural exchange. Rooted in Yoruba indigo dye traditions of Nigeria, Adire represents a sophisticated textile practice in which cloth is transformed through resist methods, repeated dyeing, and intentional design. In this workshop, participants enter the Indigo Dye Village to learn how pattern, symbolism, and process come together through indigo. The Indigo Dye Kitchen at Ajanku Art Studio is an active learning environment where participants work directly with cloth, resist materials, and a living indigo vat. Participants are invited to bring three to six (3–6) 100% cotton t-shirts or lightweight natural fiber garments to serve as their design surfaces. All items must be pre-washed. Guided by Ajanku Art Studio Indigo Dye Village instruction, participants explore multiple Adire resist approaches and gain understanding of how design decisions made prior to dyeing as a pathway to shape pattern, symbolism, and surface outcome. The workshop provides an experiential introduction to Adire textile design through guided exploration of three foundational resist techniques: 1. Cassava Paste Resist Techniques (Adire Eleko) Using cassava flour paste, participants paint designs directly onto cloth—drawing inspiration from personal stories, cultural references, or abstract pattern-making traditions. 2. Cloth Folding & Binding Techniques (Adire Oniko) Participants fold, bind, and compress fabric to create patterned resist areas that produce soft outlines, layered geometry, and spontaneous visual effects. 3. Batik Wax Resist Techniques (Adrie Alabela) Batik wax is stamped or painted onto fabric to create crisp lines and controlled textile imagery that remain protected during the dye process. Working with Indigo: After preparing their textiles, participants dye their work in the Indigo Dye Village vat, learning: Proper immersion and handling techniques, Oxidation and color transformation, Building depth through repeated dipping,How resist methods reveal pattern and contrast Participants witness the characteristic transformation of indigo,from green in the vat to deep blue through exposure to air,an essential moment in the indigo process.