Bogolan

This weekend I will dip my hands in the African mud. Ok, perhaps it will be a little bit less exciting than it sounds, because I won't go to Africa, but to Amsterdam... I will attend a workshop Bogolan, both cultural and practical. First we will learn somethings about the history of Bogolan and after this theoretical introduction we will dip our fingers in the mud.
Because I am really excited about taking this course, I am doing some research in advance. This blog is about the history and meaning of this special way to paint fabric, then there will be a blog about the meaning of the patterns and I will close this series with an overview of contemporary use of Bogolan.

Originally Bogolan is from Mali and the sub Saharan in West Africa. Bogolan, or bògòlanfini means made from mud in the Bambara language and has become the national symbol of Mali. This ancient way of painting on colored cotton is a longstanding tradition and a point of national pride. Bogolan and its patterns represent the culture of the Bamara, Dogon and Bobo people for generations. The Bogolan craftsmen are considered sacred or magical because of their material-altering nature, they complete the work 'begun by God'. Traditionally the Bogolan painting is only performed by men, just like the weaving of the textile. Narrow strips of cotton (15 cm.) are woven on looms. The only thing women contributed to this process was the spinning of the yarn, it used to be -and sometimes still is - a task of the grandmothers.
Nowadays the Bogolan-industry is very important for Mali. There is a kind of mass-production that serves the tourist and fashion markets, thereby the Bogolan craftsmen are no longer the only people producing these beautiful traditional products.

The Bogolan process is a 4-step process:

1. Mud from the river Niger or it's tributaries contains iron, which makes it suitable for painting. The preparation of the mud/paint starts 2 to 4 weeks earlier. The mud is collected from the river, the best mud, which contains a lot of iron, is found in the middle of the river. In a big container the mud needs to be stirred from time to time, in this way the organic substances can degrade and the iron salts are released.
2. After the cotton strips have been sewn together, they are first dyed, either a rich red from a dye obtained through boiling the bark of a n'peku, or in fresh yellow tones obtained through soaking the dried and pounded leaves of a n'galama. By mixing colors, or dipping the cotton several times a wide range of background colors can be created. The sun also plays a part in colouring the fabric. After each color-bad the cloths are unfurled in the sun to dry. The obtained colors represent the beautiful warm colors of the dessert, from dusk till dawn.
3. Once the fabric is dyed it is ready to receive the mud. The patterns are drawn with charcoal, and the mud will be applied using a toothbrush, a bamboo stick or by using stencils. Through a process of oxidisation the salty mud reacts with the natural dyes of the dyed fabric. This chemical reaction produces a rich black when the mud has dried and been washed off. In order to reinforce the color of the mud, it can be applied several times, thereby the black will even be more intense. 
4. After the mud has dried, the cloth can be softly cleaned, eventually with some soft soap. For the last time the cotton is laid out to dry in the sun. 

Prien at the Swan Market Sunday 23th

The kick off of the 2014 Swan Market season starts with a swinging festival in the Fenixloods. This robust, typically Rotterdam location is the place to be this weekend. Since it is inside, a little bit of rain now and then doesn't matter. There will be food and drinks and more important a lot of cool stuff. Looking for a nice present or something for yourself, don't hesitate and visit the market. It's for free! And there will be live performances as well.

Prien will attend the festival on Sunday. Where my stand will be, I don't know yet, hopefully next to Papiermonsters :)
I will have the new Spring Collection with me and the new Retro Summer Series ...
Hope to see you this Sunday! Enjoy your weekend!

Prien's New Spring Notebooks

Spring is in the air ... so it's time for the traditional Spring Cleaning ... not only for your house, but also for your head. Prien's new notebooks will help you to get organized. These handy sized beautiful pastel notebooks fit in every bag, so you can always have one with you. Choose your colour and print and write down all your to-do-things. Sometimes you can make your live a little bit nicer, just by using the right equipment :)  Enjoy spring!!

  

Feel Good Market

The place to be this weekend is the Feel Good Market in Eindhoven.

Once again Strijp S will be the decor of a vibrant and creative market. Despite the beautiful weather of recent days, it is still early in spring, so the market well be indoors. There will be live music, a lot of delicious food and even more handmade and unique stuff to see and buy.

Prien will join this edition of the Feel Good Market. There will be new series of notebooks and other stationery. So come and visit Prien's market stall to see it yourself!

... just a few more days of hard work to get ready in time :) ... See you Sunday!!

http://feelgoodmarket.nl/

Book Art by Louisa Boyd

Scrolling around on the internet I found this amazing book art of Louisa Boyd. She is an UK based artist who makes amazing books, paintings and prints. She finds her inspiration in nature and especially in the connection between man and nature. She says that even in these days, when most of us live in cities, we are still able to understand the powerful symbolism that nature depicts. For example, a bird that flies through the air represents freedom. This connection with nature is very important and needs to be cherished by mankind. For Louisa Boyd this is the starting point for working with books sculpturally. Some of her books depict birds flying away, released from their binding, others use the edges of the pages to show a broken image of a landscape.

Materials and technique play an important role in all Boyd's pieces, she dedicates a lot of time to experimenting with paper, paint and printmaking, pushing materials and understanding what they do. She sees paper as a material with fragile properties, and she enjoys identifying what it can and cannot do and the sometimes unpredictable nature of the material.

Boyd about bookbinding:'The process of bookbinding has become as important as the sculptures themselves and the concepts behind them. Recognising the beauty and skill involved in making books is just as much part of the work. It is a slow process, and requires patience, concentration and practise, but it is calming and rewarding. The hand bound book stands out in an age where we are used to fast results and machine-made objects.'

Book 'Dit is meesterlijk' - about craft

A few weeks ago I bought the beautiful book 'Dit is meesterlijk' from Nicole Uniquole, about the unique qualities of craft. Everything about this well-designed book invites you to pick it up and actually read it. I think everyone recognizes the feeling that you browse through a book, take a good look at the images or pictures and you might do that two or three times and after that the book ends on a big pile of other books you never will read. This book is different, I actually read everything, and enjoyed every part of it.

Of course it is about my passion; craft - but these days everything is about craft. Craft is hip and happening. A lot has been written about this topic, but only few articles involve the past in their story. This books analyses craft over the years and link it at the dynasties in the 14th and 15th century. One of the conclusions is that craft is not only craftsmanship, but also art, originality and love. Contemporary craft mixes these old techniques and knowledge with new materials and productions methods. 

What makes craft so special according to this book? In response to mass production, pollution and uniformity people want transparency. Products and their raw materials should be traceable, so people get back their trust in products and manufacturers. This narrative power also provides craft with its distinctive value. Who knows and experienced the dedication with which crafts have been made, will never non-committal purchase such a product.

In November 2014 Nicole Uniquole will again organize the event 'Meesterlijk' in the Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam ... perhaps there will be a new book as well  ... I hope so, because it's well-designed, informative ans inspiring!