Teahouse Windows
Teahouse Windows explores the dyeable qualities of tea leaves and brews. As unique and personal as tea flavours are to each of us, so too are the colours hidden within every leaf, fruit, root or peppercorn.
The project was commissioned in January 2021 by tea company T Totaler, who wanted to explore an immersive in-store installation for their retail store and bar in The Galeries, Sydney.
I drew out the rich and varied pigments of T Totaler’s brews through a process known as botanical dyeing or eco-printing. I first treated pieces of thrifted natural textiles with an alum mordant, scattered them with tea material, then wrapped and bound them tightly before steaming at a high temperature. The botanical material leeches pigment in different capacities, resulting in a galaxy of colour and pattern. The varied qualities of the silk, linen, cotton and rayon I used all absorb and reflect the colours in a slightly different way.
The dyed pieces were arranged into two large panels, hand stitched together with linen thread then suspended from the soaring ceiling of T Totaler’s intimate store. The installation caught the light streaming in from the centre’s skylights, creating a delicate interplay of colour and shadow throughout the day.
Teahouse Windows allowed visitors to perceive the origins of tea flavours in an entirely new way; to consider what kinds of impressions they leave and environments they come from. It brings a physical form to the moment we stop and immerse ourselves in the warmth and character of a cup of tea.
