Synthetic Batik
This swatch was made during the government COVID-19 quarantine in Sofia, Bulgaria where I have been located during the fall of 2020. Because of this circumstance, I was only able to work with the tools and materials that I had at home. I wasn't able to go to my studio to use the tools that I am accustomed to using whenever I experiment to make new things. Instead, I found some fiber reactive dyes and silk in my home. And I used wax to create a Batik resist application.

In my work, I use both natural and synthetic materials and dyes. I think the utilization of both together can create an interesting vantage point on the conversation about materiality. I also think it provides a way to think conceptually about how natural and synthetic are in a binary (like male/female, old/young, foreign/national, etc.) when in reality, we actually live in a world of spectrums as opposed to binaries.

Materials:
Silk, Batik Wax, Fiber Reactive Dyes