Alchemy

A magical process of transformation and happenstance lies at the heart of our new nature-hued collections, Alchemy and Echantment, created in collaboration with guest designer Janene Ping of Hawthorne Valley School. Inspired by the elemental dance between sun and earth, these two collections collections highlight the unique beauty of natural dyes. Distinctive color is born when roots, leaves, bark, flowers, and insects are soaked, fermented, heated, and introduced to the forces of metals and salts.

For these collections we worked with Hawthorne Valley kindergarten teacher and puppet artist JW Ping, who has a long established practice of plant dye exploration. “A journey into the enchantment of color unfolds each time the fibers are lifted from the brewing vessel… Revelation of unexpected hues is the most rewarding!” Through this practice she produces extraordinary silk tapestries that are used to create fantastical realms within her theater productions, bringing stories to life through an array of color and texture. Alchemy and Enchantment transform those backdrops into immersive, all encompassing spaces, where the unique properties of natural dyes on silk are captured at a monumental scale.

Alchemy and Enchantment are Calico Wallpaper’s first-ever guest designer collections that support the advancement of an organization that is affecting positive change in the environmental issues we face today.  Hawthorne Valley School is committed to providing education that nurtures inherent human capacities for clear thinking, creative collaboration, and meaningful work in the world. Located on an organic/Biodynamic farm in Ghent, NY, students have the opportunity to develop a close connection to the natural world and contribute to a vibrant local economy. Learn more about Hawthorne Valley School here.