FROM GREEN TO BLUE

Craftspeople begin the process of turning green plants into dark blue paste, and white fabric into a constellation of intricate blue motifs. The first phase of the entire process involves extracting the blue dye from the leaves of the tall tropical shrub, Indigofera tinctoria, which grows abundantly throughout Southeast Asia.

“BUT I NEVER GAVE UP. IN THE END KRAAM STAYED”

"Kraam or indigo dyeing is a mixture of art, science, and the strength to overcome the fear of failure. Even though there is a defined formula for dyeing, if you fail to put your heart and soul into the task, you may not always get the result you want. In the initial years when I first began kraam-dyeing, countless experimentations resulted in failures. Kraam ran away from me, time and time again. But I never gave up. In the end Kraam stayed. And it has stayed with me till this day. Now I know its secrets. I understand its nature and the exact formula needed for dyeing to get the result I desire”.

- Loong Phon (Phon Kaewma), Kraam-dye Master