By Emma Chang, Social Media Manager
We held the “Hakka Indigo Dyeing Cultural Workshop” in collaboration with the Cultural Center of TECO in New York on May 11th, 2024, in Flushing, NY. We were honored to have Jimmy Yeh, the Chairman of Taiping Blue who joined us from Taiwan, guide us through the experience of connecting Hakka Indigo Dyeing to the world.
The Taiping Blue Team shared with us the origins, plant materials, extraction techniques, and applications of indigo dyeing, hoping to continue passing down this rapidly disappearing traditional craft with this generation.
On the day of the event, in addition to an exhibition of Taiping Blue’s indigo dyeing designs, the team also provided materials for the local New York community to experience indigo dyeing firsthand. Participants got to try five dyeing techniques:
- Fish scale dyeing
- Cloud dyeing
- Small circle dyeing
- Square dyeing
- Big circle dyeing
“It’s amazing! I can create different patterns by folding the fabric or adding marbles,” shared by a participant. Each participant’s final creation was uniquely creative, even when choosing the same pattern. This event introduced the community to the history of indigo dyeing and allowed them to experience the traditional craft firsthand.
We received a lot of positive feedback, with attendees expressing that they not only gained a deeper understanding of indigo dyeing culture but also cherished this great opportunity to engage in such a special experience. This experience strengthened community cohesion and cultural exchange, and we hope to have more opportunities like this in the future to welcome more people to learn about and appreciate Hakka culture.
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