The purple snail (Plicopurpura pansa) inhabits the rocky shores of the Pacific coast, from Baja California to Peru. It produces an ink that turns purple when oxidized, which has been used since pre-Hispanic times to dye textiles. During the 1980s, massive exploitation bed to the near extinction of the species in Oaxaca. Thanks to the efforts of the Mixtec dyers from Pinotepa de Don Luis and specialists such as Marta Turok, these activities were stopped, and the Mixtec people were legally recognized as the only ones authorized to extract the dye in a sustainable way.

As you drive out southwest of Jaipur, toward Bagru, away from urban city bustle, the bright sights and sounds fading into a wide expanse of rural farmland, fresh air, roaming herds of cattle, antelope, and camels, birds sweeping the sky – a sense of calm takes its place. It’s here, on the periphery, that you will find the workshop of Wabisabi Project – a studio devoted to preserving the legacy of traditional block printing and natural dyes. 

Artist and designer Christina Hattler of Mexchic introduces her investigation into the Pochote tree’s silky fiber and tannin-rich pod shells.