COLOURS OF THE EARTH

ABOUT

Hi and welcome!

​I'm Melba: a Chilean - Australian Artist, Textile Nomad and Natural Dyer

Thank you for being here.

My creations are collections of experiences that I have gathered on my journeys around the world. 

In 2011 I ran my own clothing label in Sydney, Australia. After 3 years, my heart longed for an adventure to discover something new. 

So, in 2014 I went on a solo journey to see the world where I learnt more about textiles and designs.

During those years as a textile nomad I was fortunate to live in different parts of the world. I immersed myself in communities where I discovered things that I couldn’t have learnt in a traditional school...

THE ART OF NATURAL DYEING

The practice of extracting colours from natural sources such as barks, leaves, flowers, insects, mineral, etc is as old as is our civilization and it was the only method known until 1856, when Henry Perkin, an English chemist, accidentally produced and discovered the synthetic dyes. 

From that period, the textile industry underwent a great change and....

ECOPRINTING

Ecoprint is a contemporary technique discovered by the Australian textile artist India Flint in the 90’s. Eco printing is about the transfer the hidden colours and shapes from leaves and/ or flowers to paper or natural fabrics. 

Depending on the type of fibres, treatments, mordents, leaves, seasons, chemistry, etc. The results may vary between one to another. 

MY TEXTILE CREATIONS

Inspired by the endless beauty of Earth, I create wearable pieces of art on silk.

Within the fibres of my textile pieces, there lives the stories of entire communities and the very soul of nature.

The colours come from the Earth. Sometimes I find them in a leaf. Or even in fallen bark.  Maybe in a flower, or perhaps within a seed...  

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THE ROUTE OF DESIGN

MY EXPIRIENCE AS A TEXTILE NOMAD

SHOP

Each piece contains a small part of the plants’ life within its fibres; creating something special and absolutely unique.

 Melba Aros