Xuanlin He

「Back to the Future」 explores the intersection of ancient techniques and sustainable practices in textile arts. The project aims to infuse linen fabric with natural hues derived from tea, utilizing elm bark gel as a mordant. This innovative approach also repurposes tea leaves, commonly regarded as food waste. My research focuses on the sustainable development of natural dyes, driven by the environmental harm caused by conventional chemical mordants, which release significant amounts of heavy metals into the environment. This led me to explore natural mordants and suitable dyeing materials and yarns to achieve a sustainable future for natural dyes.

The work uses knitting to express, drawing inspiration from an Eastern musical instrument I discovered in a second-hand shop. The instrument's long string, divided by a stand, produces different sounds when plucked at both ends, symbolizing balance within imbalance.

Project 「Back to Future」utilizes tea leaves extracted from food waste to dye linen fabric, demonstrating the potential of tea leaves as a natural dye. This process weaves tradition with modernity, minimizing environmental impact and waste by using agricultural by-products. The result is a series of natural, health-conscious textiles that honor tradition while promoting a sustainable future.