"Do you use plastic sheets in ecoprinting?" This is a sensitive subject, but since several people have asked us whether we use plastic-sheets in our ecoprinting and natural dyeing process, we feel the need to keep sharing our truths transparently to you.
There is indeed another part in ecoprinting field where people feel comfortable to use (single-use and short term-use) plastic sheets as resisting-assistant or barrier cloth so that the ecoprinted result would be "flawless", or spotless, not ghosting or shadowy.
We affirmed you that WE DON'T USE PLASTIC SHEETS in any of our ecoprinting and natural dyeing process. It is not to say that those who use plastic are bad, it is simply matter of choice and life values. And this is our choice not to use plastic sheets. It's our life values. We stick to the original path of ecoprinting -- which was first (re)introduced to the world by alchemist India Flint, whose works and ecological values we deeply respect and admire.
We are proud of the "flaws", spots, marks and ghosting effects created in our ecoprinted works, just like we believe that all of us, each of us human, have our own beautiful imperfection and should be proud of our authentic self.
This is also to say, we are proud to live, love and learn in Bali, the region in Indonesia whose government has the courage to ban single-use plastics and put it into the laws and real regulation. Despite many other environmental challenges and weaknesses we all face here in Bali (just like in many parts in the world), this is a great, brave step already.
We believe that we should work on ourselves first, our life values, our lifestyle, our works and creations, to be able to contribute our best in making a better, more healthy world, for the life we all live.
All these profound pictures were from our collaborative workshop with The Kul Kul Farm, The Home Natural Dyer: Ecoprinting and More (April 2019), where we were blessed for having a wonderful opportunity to share some insights and life values through natural textiles, fibers and earth colors.
Love,
Novieta