A project by Greta Desirèe Facchinato exploring natural ink-making for screen printing. Conventional inks contain harmful chemicals, impacting both humans and the environment. In 2021, with Grafische Werkplaats Den Haag and Gemeente Den Haag’s support, Facchinato researched sustainable alternatives, extracting color from foraged plants, urban relics, and kitchen scraps. The results were showcased in the Color is Alive exhibition, featuring prints on paper and textiles alongside an artist publication.

The research was conducted in parallel with Facchinato’s foraging practice, focusing on plants native to Dutch and Italian territories. The artist aims to reconnect us to color through the landscape around us, challenging the notion of artwork as eternal and reconsidering conservation. By using bio-based inks composed of organic matter, each ink is influenced by nature’s cycles, resulting in unique, evolving color properties. This project invites a shift in perspective, understanding color as a living entity subject to the same life and death cycles as all natural materials.

Presented with an independent publication during Color is Alive at Hoogtij#67, Grafische Werkplaats Den Haag. Selected materials from this research, including Charcoal, Avocado, and Sap Green, are featured in the Future Materials Bank and Materials Design Map.

You can view a selection of the Color is Alive artworks on paper and textile here.