Indigo, the Living Dye: Tokyo Art & Science Residency 2024

Since 2018, BioClub, an open bioscience community in the heart of Tokyo, has partnered with the Finnish Institute in Japan and the Bioart Society to host a one-month residency. Participants in the Tokyo Art & Science Research Residency can leverage BioClub’s BSL-1 certified lab space to conduct experiments, create art, and connect with the local creative community. Past residents include installation artist Aaro Murphy (2024 Tokyo Arts and Space Exchange Resident) and Johanna Rotko (BIO ART LAB, YEASTOGRAMS-Laboratory).

The Bioartist in Residence for 2024 was Lau Kaker (they/them), a Helsinki-based artist and curator originally from Belgium. Informed by research on interspecies relationships and belonging, Lau’s practice uses media from paper-making to textile spinning and dyeing in order to explore concepts of home.

With their background in textiles and natural dyes, Lau was eager to learn about the traditional Japanese practice of indigo dyeing, known as aizome (“eye-zoh-meh,” literally “dyeing blue”). For over a thousand years, aizome artisans have used a fermentation-based technique unique to Japan and its variety of indigo. Aizome, therefore, is a craft with a long history that is also indelibly linked to the land.

Several civilizations have developed their own indigo dyeing methods, from crushing leaves in water to pounding indigo into fabric. The indigo plant used in textiles, painting, and other arts throughout Eurasia and parts of Africa is often fermented in water to produce dye. The defining feature of Japanese aizome is that leaves are fermented twice: once in the open air, and then in the dyeing vat. 

Aizome begins with the fermentation of indigo leaves over the course of one to three months. During this time, the leaves essentially turn to compost, requiring daily turning and watering to regulate temperature, moisture, and airflow. At the end of fermentation, the delicate green leaves have turned to dark blue or black clumps, called sukumo. The quality of sukumo is impacted by the health of the leaves and the soil in which they grew, as well as the conditions under which they fermented.

While sukumo can be used right away, it is often dried for later use. Whenever a dyer prepares a vat, they must combine the sukumo with very alkaline water, as the bacteria that produce indigo dye need a high pH to survive. Once established, a vat can survive for months to years, assuming it is well-cared for and the sukumo is replenished regularly.

Indigo textiles in Japan have long been valued for their beauty as well as their practical use. Dyed fabrics have antibacterial properties and even soothe the skin. Folk wisdom advises new parents to clothe their babies in indigo-dyed clothes, to prevent itchy skin and help the infant — and their parents — sleep through the night. It was this rich tradition and practice that Lau wanted to explore during their month in Japan.

To kick off their residency, Lau visited one of BioClub’s weekly Tuesday meetings to introduce themselves and their work to the community. In their artist talk, they detailed their projects with textiles and natural dyes made from plants and mushrooms back in Finland. They also detailed their interest in the aliveness of the aizome vat, its interspecies community, and the various properties of aizome textiles.

To learn more about aizome culture and practice, Lau visited several indigo studios in the Kanto region and beyond. At each studio, Lau spoke with the artisan about their craft and dyed pieces with them, getting hands-on experience with new techniques. 

At NORABI Studio in Chiba, Lau learned about the importance of minute adjustments to the final textile. (Pictures by Nagisa Mizuno)

The indigo vat at Shouai Samurai in Ibaraki Prefecture, a studio that grows the indigo they use for dyeing. The proprietor taught Lau how to make a vat. (Photos by Lau Kaker)

Influenced by the Assam Indian indigo tradition, Ryukyu dyers in what is now Okinawa ferment indigo leaves in water and strain the mixture to make a paste, which is used similarly to sukumo. (Photos by Lau Kaker)

During Lau’s introductory presentation, an audience member connected them with Cozo Cazama, an indigo dyer and owner of Aizora Studio in Tochigi Prefecture. This serendipitous meeting led to Cazama visiting BioClub to deliver a talk about his practice.

Cazama considers indigo to be a mainstay of Japanese artisanal culture and history. In his talk, Cazama spoke about deepening his connection with his cultural heritage through indigo dyeing and, more recently, performing on the sho flute. After the talk, he met Lau’s vat and offered advice to the community on caring for it.

Cozo Cazama delivering his artist talk. Some audience members came all the way from Tochigi to attend in person. (Photos by Lau Kaker)

In the third week of the residency, Lau and the indigo vat were ready for a dyeing workshop.  Participants were invited to communicate with the vat and reflect on their relationship with it before dyeing. To that end, people wrote messages to the vat, which they could then read aloud to the swirling liquid. Lau had also brought a hydrophone and headphones, with which everyone listened to the soft gurgling of the dye and the ghostly echo of voices from above the surface.

Using simple tools like chopsticks, thread, wooden stencils, and clamps, workshop participants created patterns on cotton textiles. Depending on their desired color and effect, Lau guided them on how long to submerge the piece and rinse off the dye. What resulted was a set of one-of-a-kind hand-dyed textiles.

Workshop attendees learned about the history and significance of aizome as a thread in the tapestry of fiber arts across world history. Through creating and reflecting on their relationship with the unseen world within the dye, they were able to make their own contribution to this enduring art form.

During their month-long residency, Lau forged steadfast friendships with BioClub members and aizome artisans, discovered new ways of being with and understanding the microorganisms, and created a new way for the community to come together. The vat will remain viable for up to 12 months; it could even be supplemented with more raw sukumo to extend its lifespan.

Another successful iteration of the Tokyo Art & Science Research Residency has come to a close. Each residency is totally different, and 2024 was no different — Lau brought together BioClub’s bioscience foundation with a craft that has roots stretching to the very core of Japan’s artistic heritage. BioClub has found lifelong connections in Lau and other artisans they introduced to the space.

BioClub meets every Tuesday, with regular talks and workshops by visiting artists and community members. You can learn more about the club and how to get involved on our website, bioclub.tokyo. Connect with us on Discord and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date on upcoming events, ongoing projects, and what’s going on in our community lab!