Melba Aros - Textile Artist
My way of caring and showing my love to the Earth is through the exclusive use of natural colours to dye my fabrics, many of which I find on the ground after a windy day. Others come from food waste and others are gifts from my garden that I have patiently dedicated myself to expanding and watching grow.
Working with natural dyes is a very beautiful, rewarding and delicate practice. It allows me to immerse myself in nature, observe the changes of seasons, the behaviour of the flora and fauna of the place where I live, the rapid growth of some plants and of others so slow they remind me that my time on earth is just a small fragment.
The aesthetic part of my work is reflected in the practices I have been gathering over the years. Through spontaneous brushstrokes, patchwork and markings, I give life to my colourful and tactile creations.
The beginning is always a mystery since I never know where it will take me. Not having expectations has allowed me to trust and express myself intuitively, embracing flaws and imperfections. It invites me to freely experiment and surprise myself, regardless of the results.
My work is borne to celebrate and thank the Earth for its infinite goodness and beauty. And through my textiles, I hope to encourage others to be close to nature and observe it in depth. For those who are already close, my wish is that we continue working together for a more sustainable and balanced world.
BIO
I grew up in the south of Chile, with rainy weather, evergreen forests, and a carefree lifestyle that helped me develop my deep connection to nature.
My interest in textiles started through fashion. Ever since I was little, I designed my own clothes. Once I finished high school, I moved to Santiago de Chile to study advertising. Years later, I moved to Melbourne. There I became inspired to create my own clothing label.
I learned about fashion and textiles through the most alternative ways. First, by watching my older sister sew, then studying fashion books, working in a second-hand clothing factory, interning with a tailor... even traveling the world for more than 3 years. During that time, I immersed myself in different cultures and communities, documenting different textile expressions.
It was here while traveling that my passion for natural dyes started, but it wasn't until I settled down in Perth, Western Australia that my creative process began to bloom.
Since then I haven't stopped learning, experimenting this wonderful art of natural colours.
