Join us for an exploration of each artist’s craft, trajectory and connection to legacy throughout the weekend in this interactive artist talk.
Guizhou’s Miao and Dong communities base their botanical knowledge on centuries of subsistence farming in the region. At least three species of the flowering plant indigofera are cultivated in Guizhou and provide a color-fast dye used for clothing and household furnishings. To prepare the dye, harvested leaves are converted into a paste. Because indigo dye does not have to be kept hot, it is ideal for waxresist batik. In batik, patterns are applied to undyed cloth using liquid beeswax. When the cloth is submerged in dye, the waxed parts remain white while the unwaxed parts absorb the colour.
Presented by Dr. Yang, an executive member of China Ethnic Minority Clothing Research Association, who has specifically researched ethnic botanic dyeing techniques.
Watch the artists at work throughout the weekend at the Artisan Village.
PRICES
Everyone: FREE
Saturday, July 12, 2014
2:00PM – 2:45PM
Zone 5
235 Queens Quay West, Toronto Ontario
Yang Wenbin
Mr. Yang is ethnic Miao and a scholar. For the past 27 years, he has mainly been studying and field researching clothing art and craft of ethnic minority groups in the Southwest, Mid-South and South China. He is currently an executive member of China Ethnic Minority Clothing Research Association, and has also specifically researched ethnic botanic dyeing techniques. At the Festival, he will help to present the textile demonstrations and narrative sessions (discussion technique, aesthetics, patterns) and he himself can also demonstrate Miao botanic dyeing and batik. He is currently an executive member of China Ethnic Minority Clothing Research Association.
苗语称“务图”，意为“蜡染服”。
丹寨县、安顺县及织金县是以苗族为主体的多民族聚居区，在长期与外界隔绝的艰苦坏境中，这里的居民逐渐形成了自给自足的生活方式，古老的蜡染技艺因此得以保留下来。按苗族习俗，所有的女性都有义务传承蜡染技艺，每位母亲都必须教会自己的女儿制作蜡染。所以苗族女性自幼便学习这一技艺，她们自己栽靛植棉、纺纱织布、画蜡挑秀、浸染剪裁，代代传承。
在此状况下，这些苗族聚居区形成了以蜡染艺术为主导的衣饰装束、婚姻节日礼俗、社交方式、丧葬风习等习俗文化。