The fifth installment of Nan Fung's "In Time Of" community initiative, Colour of the Earth, at The Mills explores the relationship between seeds and the soil by uncovering nature's myriad hues.
Indigo dye rarely grows from local seeds. To explore the possibility of creating a homemade dye, a team from The Mills flew to India for a field study in growing indigofera tinctoria.
It took a year of experiments, partnered with agricultural education group Sangwoodgoon KidsClub, to adapt the seeds brought back from India to the local climate and soil.
Using leaves from the seeds, Giants Tie Dye, a group of tie-dye artists from Hong Kong and Taiwan, experimented for nine months with different recipes for fermentation to create indigo dyes - resulting in the homegrown Hong Kong Blue.
The dye was used for accents on works by local designer-artist UUendy Lau King-man, who goes by the artistic monicker UU. Lau's Happy Birthday to Tree relives the long history of natural dyeing through exhibitions and workshops.
Mentored by the tie-dye artists, Lau created her first works using natural dye, mixing yellow gardenia fruit and red common madder root with indigo for an array of hues.
Even the materials used had to be carefully considered. "Synthetic fiber can't be dyed with natural dyes, so only cotton cloths are used in this exhibition," she said.
Her exhibition consists of three installation pieces that draw inspiration from her childhood memories in Tsuen Wan.
"We often have a simple, straightforward idea of red flowers and green leaves, but the colors of nature vary by season. These colors convey the messages from nature to us."
Lau conducted two pre-exhibition workshops with students and the elderly from Ebenezer School and Home for the Visually Impaired and St James Settlement Project Care Neighbourhood Elderly Centre in Tsuen Wan.
The results of the workshops were later incorporated into her creative process as "secret stories" to be interpreted by the audience.
Lau said: "While color is always associated with visuals, it also refers to feelings and emotions. In the workshop, some old people reminisced about their past and the natural landscape of Tsuen Wan, expressing that in various forms, such as poems and drawings. We hope to understand more how people of different ages and backgrounds interpret colors."
She loved the experimental nature of the project. "You may expect green from green solvent but get blue instead due to oxidation. Human wisdom and experiments help discover the useful side of plants."
Happy Birthday to Tree is running from now until November 28 at The Mills in Tsuen Wan.
