Lizane Louw

As a travel & culture journalist, Lizane researches, writes and shares original travel and culture-related stories. Lizane produces high-quality content for various platforms, including print, online, social media, and video platforms. Lizane enjoys writing feature articles, sharing experiential stories, and creating photo essays of all the offbeat, remote and interesting destinations she visits.

Dabu Block Printing: Crafting With Mud and Water

Posted on by Lizane Louw
In the quiet, dimly lit print studio, the printmaker moves with precision, pressing a hand-carved woodblock onto the fabric. The rhythmic repetition of her work reflects generations of knowledge passed down in this Rajasthani village. The air is thick with the scent of earth and dye, as layer by layer, she brings the Dabu print tradition to life. Each impression is more than a pattern—it is a connection to history, a story told through touch, texture, and time. Photo by Lizane Louw.
In the quiet, dimly print studio, the printmaker’s hands move with precision, pressing the woodblock onto the fabric. Her expert knowledge of the craft is evident in the rhythm of her printing. The earthy scent of mud and dye fills the air as she creates one-of-a-kind prints in the Dabu print tradition—a craft passed down through generations in this Rajasthani village. Each movement of her hands with the block is a connection to the craft’s storied past. Photo Lizane Louw

Bagru, India – On the edge of the Thar desert in Rajasthan, where time moves slowly and to a rhythm of tradition, lies the town of Bagru. This isn’t just any Rajasthani village; it’s a living craft museum and a sprawling textile bazaar where the ancient craft of Dabu block printing has thrived in the Chhippa community for centuries.

In the narrow, dusty streets lined with shops, workshops, and block print studios, artisans transform meters of fabric into works of printed art. Skilled hands have passed down the knowledge of heritage crafts, surface design secrets, printing methods, and secret mud paste recipes through many generations.

My journeys to Bagru are always more than just a trip—they are life lessons learned with every taxi ride back to Jaipur. Each journey allows for reflection, and the vistas through the car windows inspire ideas and countless more textile journeys.

Every ride into this village, passing camels, cows, jeep taxis, loaded buses, and multicoloured trucks with tassels and loud tooters, takes me deep into a world of textiles. The early morning road trips on Sundays are the best; the streets are quieter than usual, allowing for a more serene experience.

I always look forward to each taxi ride, feeling blessed to learn from the masters and to speak the language of patterns, pigments, and prints—a language they learned by practicing and following family traditions.

Meters of indigo-dyed fabric dry under the open sky in Bagru, each piece carrying the story of the Dabu print tradition. A woman moves among the printed sarees, tending to textiles shaped by earth, dye, and time. Photo by Lizane Louw.
Meters and meters of freshly dyed indigo fabric dry under the open sky in Bagru, each piece carrying the story of the Dabu print tradition. Against the earth-toned landscape, a woman moves among the printed sarees, tending to these textiles that tell a story of the elements, nature, craft and time. Photo Lizane Louw

The Rhythm of Time

Setting foot in Bagru introduces you to a rhythm of time unlike any other. The town’s rustic charm lies in its busy streets, lanes, shops, and workshops that snake through the village. The roads get crowded, and the air is filled with dust and the earthy scent of clay and natural dyes, a sensory reminder that in Bagru, nature and craft are one.

Bagru is much larger than it initially appears, stretching far and wide. With each visit, I discover new streets and corners, making it feel even larger. I still find it hard to orient myself and am not sure if I will ever have the confidence to drive from Jaipur to Bagru by myself. However, I have faith in the skills of the drivers who take me on these journeys.

The road between Jaipur and Bagru is a world of its own—a kind of madness that becomes a symphony of chaos. Many of the buildings and shops toward the center of town double as printing workshops and studios of artisans. Some of these buildings are centuries old, carrying the weight of history within their walls.

I was fortunate to have Avinash, one of my Dabu block print teachers, take me to one of the oldest print shops in town. We accessed this sacred space through a heavy wooden door with a rusted lock. The building still stands, but the inside is covered in dust, with relics of the craft scattered in the tiny rooms, each carrying a piece of history.

The entrance to Bagru’s oldest block print studio, now abandoned and locked, its history fading with time. Photo by Lizane Louw.
hand-carved Dabu printing block, left behind in an abandoned Bagru workshop—a silent relic of a once-thriving craft. Photo by Lizane Louw.
The abandoned printers workshop is in the image on the left. From the outside, this building appears abandoned, easily overlooked by passersby. Avinash, my teacher, took me on an electric scooter ride through the village, weaving through time and history. This is the entrance to the oldest block print studio in Bagru—a place once alive with craftsmanship, now standing deserted. Considered unsafe to enter, the building remains locked and inaccessible to the public. Photo Lizane Louw
An old block used for Dabu mud printing on the right—a relic from a bygone era. I found this hand-carved woodblock in a deserted building, the block a silent reminder of a time when this print shop thrived. The artisans who once worked here printed textiles for the patrons of the craft, including the Rajputs, local merchants, and the surrounding community. Today, the building stands empty, its history traced into every pattern and used block. Photo Lizane Louw

Dabu Block Printing: Earth and Traditional Artistry

The Dabu block printing process begins with fabric preparation, like most hand-print traditions. Most workshops I attended in Bagru followed the same traditions: cotton is washed to remove impurities and starch from the fabric. After scouring, the fabric is laid out to dry under the desert sun. I always spend a few days with a studio for workshops, and I have had some great “village tours” around Bagru. Watching the textiles being placed in the sun is always striking, highlighting how much the elements of nature are used in the production cycle of these printed cloths.

A woman in Bagru lays out scoured fabric under the sun, preparing it for the Dabu printing process. This important step ensures the cloth absorbs natural dyes evenly. Photo by Lizane Louw.
A woman in Bagru lays out scoured fabric under the sun, preparing it for the Dabu printing process. This important step ensures the cloth absorbs natural dyes evenly. Photo by Lizane Louw.
A woman in Bagru carefully lays out scoured fabric under the sun, a crucial step in the Dabu printing process. Before any patterns are printed or dyes are applied, the fabric must be thoroughly cleaned and sun-dried to absorb the natural dyes evenly. Her work is an essential foundation of this centuries-old craft, connecting tradition, skill, and sustainability in every piece of cloth. Photos Lizane Louw

When the fabric is dry, it is ready for printing. The cloth is laid out on unique print tables prepared with layers of jute and cotton. Once the fabric is placed and pinned to the table, it is ready to be printed.

The mud paste is a resist made from clay, gum, and lime, known as ‘Dabu.’ This is where the real magic begins for me. It’s incredible how each family or small craft business has its own recipes and experiments, making the best print pastes I have ever printed with.

Dry clay and mud collected for the Dabu print process. Photo Lizane Louw
Dry clay and mud collected for the Dabu print process. Photo Lizane Louw
A mud tray prepared for the Dabu printing for sample prints at Jait Textart. Photo Lizane Louw
Some of the tools I used for the sample prints I printed for my first collection with Mud and Water in Bagru. Photo Lizane Louw
On the left is a mud tray prepared for the Dabu printing for sample prints at Jait Textart. On the right are some of the tools I used for the sample prints I printed for my first collection with Mud and Water in Bagru. Photos Lizane Louw

I attended many Bagru and Dabu block print workshops and learned inspiring techniques from master artisans. Besides getting my hands dirty with mud and creating textile art, I enjoy observing them practising their craft. I have come to learn that a master printer’s skill is evident in the rhythm with which they print and how they handle the blocks. I have seen incredible work and learned so much with each visit.

The mud paste has a distinct smell, and the workshops and print studios have a particular scent. This is one of the reasons I am so drawn to the craft; it is so earthy and raw.

I love how this process of Dabu printing challenges me to think in the negative when I print a design. You have to see the design you are printing “inverse,” as the paste blocks out the patterns that would not be dyed.

I admire the artisans applying the paste using carved wooden blocks every time I observe them. The precision and artistry required to create these beautiful mud cloths come from years of practice. It is not an easy job and is very time-consuming. I also love how most of the prints made with Dabu are more earthy, raw, and geometrical; it is not as fine as work from the Bagru print tradition.

In the heart of Bagru, a block printer rhythmically stamps patterns onto meters of dyed fabric, each imprint of the block a testament to the centuries-old craft of Dabu printing. Layer by layer, block by block, the design emerges—precision, repetition, and tradition, all stamped with care. Photo Lizane Louw
In the heart of Bagru, a block printer rhythmically stamps patterns onto meters of dyed fabric, each imprint of the block a testament to the centuries-old craft of Dabu printing. Layer by layer, block by block, the design emerges—precision, repetition, and tradition, all stamped with care. Photo Lizane Louw

Each block, carved with designs used for generations, is pressed onto the fabric, leaving behind a pattern that will resist the dye in the next step. There is a distinct sound when you remove the block from the cloth after you make an imprint; it is almost like a “thleeeup” sound, resembling the noise of tape slowly peeling off a surface or squeezing wet mud through your fingers. It can get messy.

With precision, patience and an eye for detail, a Dabu artisan in Bagru prints mud resist onto fabric, preparing it for dyeing. Photo Lizane Louw
A master printer carefully stamps the Dabu resist, ensuring each imprint forms part of the intricate design. Photos Lizane Louw
On the left, with precision, patience and an eye for detail, a Dabu block print artisan in Bagru prints mud resist onto fabric, preparing it for dyeing. On the right, a master printer carefully stamps the Dabu resist, ensuring each imprint forms part of the intricate design. Photos Lizane Louw

After the fabric is printed, sawdust is dusted over the fabric to set and secure the print in place and to help with the drying process. This allows the print to set and not run. The printed work is then laid outside the studios and workshops to dry in the hot desert sun. Once the mud has dried, the fabric is dyed using natural colors derived from plants and minerals.

Sawdust is sprinkled over freshly printed Dabu mud resist, helping the mud print to dry and set before the fabric is dyed. This delicate step preserves the intricate patterns that define the craft of Dabu printing. Photo Lizane Louw
Sawdust is sprinkled over freshly printed Dabu mud resist, helping the mud print to dry and set before the fabric is dyed. This delicate step preserves the intricate patterns that define the craft of Dabu printing. Photo Lizane Louw

I have seen and experienced the vats in Bagru and learned about the traditions of creating these beautiful natural palettes that work with Dabu. Indigo for blues, turmeric for yellows, turmeric and indigo for green, or indigo pomegranate for deeper forest greens, and as the locals call it, Kashish (natural iron deposit) for grey or brown. Pomegranate and alum are also historically used to make red prints—each color is solid, vibrant, and very earthy, reflecting the natural elements from which they are sourced.

A dyer working with the mud printed fabric, dips the printed cloth into an indigo vat, transforming it from green to deep blue as it oxidises. Each dip builds layers of colour, revealing the magic of natural indigo dyeing. Photo Lizane Louw
A dyer working with the mud printed fabric, dips the printed cloth into an indigo vat, transforming it from green to deep blue as it oxidises. Each dip builds layers of colour, revealing the magic of natural indigo dyeing. Photo Lizane Louw

Once dyed, the resist paste forms the pattern, and the design is revealed when the fabric is removed from the dye bath. After washing in water baths, the resist paste creates the final intricate patterns. The result is a piece of mud cloth that is not just beautiful but carries the soul of Bagru. Each printed piece is one of a kind; no two designs or prints are ever the same. The elements of nature play a part in creating these stunning pieces. The quality of the water also affects the color of the prints.

Dabu Print: Red Moon, by Designer Lizane Louw
My first Dabu mudprint: The Red Moon Story Scarf, 2016.
Dabu Print: Red Moon II, by Designer Lizane Louw
The second iteration: The Red Moon Story Scarf II, 2024.

What I found most interesting is how the seasons and the sun also play a part in the final print of the Dabu block print design. In the winter, the prints are more defined and crisp; in the summer, when the sun bakes down on the earth, the mud dries faster and cracks, creating a new look of marbling and a new feeling to the printed cloth. I find this fascinating; nature truly creates art.

The hand motions when printing with mud in the Dabu tradition and Bagru tradition with natural inks are different. You handle the blocks differently. Those gentle movements, with each tradition, help you create the prints. With Dabu printing, it is more of a slide motion when you remove the block from the mud print. I like the rhythm and the sound of mud printing; it stuck with me.

My efforts with my first mud prints were clumsy and uneven; I can see it now. I know what I am looking at and where I made mistakes. To to master this craft, skill and patience are required. I fell deeply in love with the Dabu print tradition, and I will continue to research and write about this craft that has taught me so much.

A block printer applies Dabu mud paste onto dyed fabric, creating intricate patterns that will resist the next layer of colour in the design. Each step in the process of printing and dyeing adds depth, texture, and a story to the cloth. Photo Lizane Louw
A block printer applies Dabu mud paste onto dyed fabric, creating intricate patterns that will resist the next layer of colour in the design. Each step in the process of printing and dyeing adds depth, texture, and a story to the cloth. Photo Lizane Louw

Sustainability and Dabu Block Printing

In a world dominated by fast fashion and trends, Dabu printing is probably one of the best examples of sustainability in textile printing that I have come across. The process is eco-friendly, from using mud and natural dyes to carefully managing water resources. I think this is slow textile crafts and a form of slow fashion in its purest form. Every step is taken with care and consideration for the environment.

As I continue to learn from the master artisans and observe more artisans at work, I can’t help but reflect on the value of handmade goods. Yes, these products are often more expensive than mass-produced textiles, but witnessing the time, skill, and dedication that goes into each piece made me realize the value. Buying a hand-printed textile involves preserving a craft that is as much about cultural heritage as fashion and tradition.

Two artisans place freshly dyed indigo fabric in an open field to dry. With them handling the printed cloth, the intricate patterns on the sarees are revealed. If you look closely, you can see the result of the mud resist process. Photo Lizane Louw

Two artisans place freshly dyed indigo fabric in an open field to dry. With them handling the printed cloth, the intricate patterns on the sarees are revealed. If you look closely, you can see the result of the mud resist process. Photo Lizane Louw
Deep blue indigo and intricate geometrical and botanical patterns, each printed piece a testament to the craft of resist-dyeing with Mud. Layer upon layer, the fabric carries the marks of nature, the natural elements, time, skill, and the enduring artistry of dyeing with indigo. Photo Lizane Louw
Deep blue indigo and intricate geometrical and botanical patterns, each printed piece a testament to the craft of resist-dyeing with Mud. Layer upon layer, the fabric carries the marks of nature, the natural elements, time, skill, and the enduring artistry of dyeing with indigo. Photo Lizane Louw

Cultural and Economic Impact

Dabu printing is not just an art form; it’s a way of life for the people of Bagru. The designs are often drawn from the surroundings, tools, household objects, and the natural world. You can find floral motifs, geometric patterns, and symbolic representations of animals and plants. These motifs have been used for centuries, yet they remain timeless, connecting each piece of fabric to the region’s long history and people.

However, there is another side to print crafts: communities with countless challenges. On the upside, the global demand for sustainable fashion has brought new opportunities to the artisans and print communities in Rajasthan. The crafts are known, appreciated, and sold, but there are numerous and serious obstacles faced by these craft communities.

There’s a constant struggle in the region to maintain authenticity in the face of growing competition and the pressure to produce faster. There are movements away from traditional print crafts, more practice for profit, and the creation of questionable quality.

The question about the treatment of the craftspeople and the community’s well-being also comes into question; it is hard work and long hours behind print tables. One thing that is important for me when I set out on my textile print adventures is to research and note the material used to print and dye in studios. I think it is very important to research and to educate yourself on inks and dyes that are good for the workers to work with and also in the end, good for the environment.

What I discovered in Bagru is a community that is still dedicated to the old traditions of block printing and Bagru’s artisans remain committed to their craft, and their resilience is a testament to the strength of tradition in a rapidly changing world.

The rhythm of the print traditions continuing, uninterrupted at this open-air dyeing workshop in Bagru. Here, the fabric is not just dyed—it is transformed with patterns, pigments and prints, carrying the history of its makers. Photo Lizane Louw
The indigo vat showcase the real "alchemy" of natural colour. The artisans work with quiet focus, their clothes permanently stained by the deep blues of indigofera tinctoria, true indigo. Photo Lizane Louw
In the first picture you can view the rhythm of the print traditions continuing, uninterrupted at this open-air dyeing workshop in Bagru. Here, the fabric is not just dyed—it is transformed with patterns, pigments and prints, carrying the history of its makers. The indigo vat on the right showcase the real “alchemy” of natural colour. The artisans work with quiet focus, their clothes permanently stained by the deep blues of indigofera tinctoria, true indigo. Photo Lizane Louw

Embracing the Art of Slow Living

Every time I leave Bagru, I carry more than just the memory of my time there. I have a renewed appreciation for the value of slow living, of taking the time to create something meaningful, and, of course, bags and bags of printed textiles I printed myself. My growing collection of textiles, that I printed myself, makes me proud. I even launched my sustainable textile line, Mäya, in collaboration with Mud and Water, a small family-run print operation in Bagru. I have so many stories to share…

In our modern, fast-paced world that often values speed and convenience over quality and sustainability, my experience in Bagru reminded me of the beauty of handmade crafts and the deliberate and thoughtful process of creation. I learn so much from taking time out when I print; the process is like meditation. For me it is all about finding flow every time I print, even more so when I craft and paint with mud.

I am a Dabu printer, I love the resit printing crafts and I respect all the artisans I have met who practice this craft. As I continue to do my field research and to develop my practice, it is also important for me to understand the challenges and complications of the crafts. Most importantly, I want to share the stories of the craft and help everyone understand and appreciate the hard work of creating these beautiful mud cloths. I plan to continue to develop my skills in this craft and that I will find more inspiration to write more mud stories.

This textile journey with Bagru has changed how I think about my clothes and the items I bring into my home. I am learning with textiles and hand-printed crafts that each piece of printed fabric is not just a product; it’s a story of the land, the people, and the age-old techniques that bring it to life.

As consumers, we have the choice to choose these textiles, these stories, and the crafts. With this choice, we can support the artisans who keep these traditions alive and embrace a slower, more sustainable, earth-friendly way of living.

Supporting Sustainability

For those inspired to explore sustainability in textiles, I encourage you to consider the art of handmade textiles, the traditions of Dabu printing, Bagru printing, and all handweave traditions. Whether you visit Bagru and witness the process firsthand or seek out Dabu-printed textiles, you’ll support a craft embodying sustainability and cultural preservation. Look for pieces that carry the mark of authenticity—natural dyes and beautiful bold patterns created by nature. Dabu prints are raw, imperfect, rustic, and one of a kind. You can rest knowing that each Dabu print was made with care and respect for the environment. It is a way of life in the region.

The printmaker sprinkles sawdust over the printed fabric, fixing the resist paste before it meets the next dye step in the process of creating this one-of-a-kind design. In the dimly lit print studio, the air is thick with dust and the history of Dabu printing. This is more than a craft—it is a way of life passed down, preserved, and printed into the history of Rajasthan. Photo Lizane Louw.
The printmaker sprinkles sawdust over the printed fabric, fixing the resist paste before it meets the next dye step in the process of creating this one-of-a-kind design. In the dimly lit print studio, the air is thick with dust and the history of Dabu printing. This is more than a craft—it is a way of life passed down, preserved, and printed into the history of Rajasthan. Photo Lizane Louw.

The Future of Dabu Block Printing in Bagru

As I reflect on my time in Bagru and my love for Dabu printing, I can’t help but wonder what the future holds for this ancient mud craft. The world is changing rapidly; we live in a fast-paced world in high-tech societies. We seem to be moving faster; our world is becoming increasingly digital and mechanical. We are consuming and discarding more than ever before. With all this, traditional artisans face more and more challenges.

It is hard to adapt and adjust ways of working in the hand print crafts. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned on each taxi ride to Bagru and back, it is that the people of that village on the outskirts of the Thar desert are as resilient as the craft they practice. These skilled craftsmen have weathered centuries of change until now, and I believe they’ll continue to do so, adapting their practices in eco-friendly ways to meet the needs of the modern world while staying true to their roots.

Ultimately, my journies to Bagru was about more than just discovering new crafts—it was about finding a new way of seeing the world. I am excited to learn more about this mud craft that uses no chemical, industrial machine, or mechanical process, a craft practised with the elements and nature.

As Mr. Joshi, a textile merchant in Rishikesh whom I met one evening, told me with a big smile: “Indian textiles go deep. How deep will you go?”

I can’t wait to pack my bags and head to Bhuj and Kutch to learn more about the heritage textile crafts of this country, which I call my second home.

Additional resources: This section will be updated as my research continue.

Recommended print experiences:

Mud and Water and Bagru Printing workshop.

This is 4th generation award winning hand block printing workshop in the Chhipo ka Mohalia in Bagru. I did a four day printing exploration with Avinash, Akash and Mr. Digamber Medatwal. I was fortunate to experience a Bagru that very few people do. Avinash took me on electric scooter rides around the print workshops and went out of his way to share the operations of the studio and the work they produce. I also worked with this studio to produce the first print run of my first textiles designs I created with found blocks from their archive.

The family does not have a website, it is best to book with them directly, get in touch on Instagram. I highly recommend having a cup of chai with and also printing with Mr. Digamber Medatwal. What I learned from this master printer inspired a lifetime of research.

Studio Bagru

A very professional operation run by Anup Chhipa and his family – Anup is the Production Director at Studio Bagru

Anup is a fifth-generation block printer. He began printing at the age of 16 alongside his father and formally joined Studio Bagru in 2016. Anup is a master printer and also master of color. I witnessed this first hand. Anup oversees production management, retail operations, and printing workshops. I spend four days learning from Anup and the quality of the prints I created under the guidance of him and the team makes me very proud. I printed my first carpet with the guidance of Anup, I also got introcuded to pigment printing and shibori at this studio. I am also very lucky to have had the opportunity to also learn from his mom and dad. They make an incredible team, and I am very impressed with the quality of the print products I not only created, but also bought.

Recommended reading:

Gillow, J., & Barnard, N. (1991). Indian textiles. Thames & Hudson.

“Indian Textiles” by John Gillow and Nicholas Barnard explores the diverse textile traditions of India, covering the history, techniques, and cultural significance of weaving, dyeing, printing, and embroidery. Richly illustrated with good visual examples, the book highlights regional styles and the artistry of Indian textiles. This is a good starting point if you want to learn more about heritage textiles, textile arts and the Indian culture.

What not to miss in the area:

  • Block Printing Workshops: Participate in hands-on block printing workshops offered by studios in Bagru or Jaipur; contact me for more information, I worked with a couple of family run operations and would love to share my experiences and suggestions with you. There are many.
  • Visit the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing: Explore textile exhibits showcasing the history and techniques of block printing. They also offer books for sale, and the books are very good for referencing sample fabrics and research, a must for every textile designer and researcher.
  • Textile Shopping: Jaipur is not a village. It is more like a market, mall or giant bazaar; you can shop your heart out. Visit markets like Johari Bazaar, Bapu Bazaar, and Tripolia Bazaar for hand-printed textiles and other local arts and crafts. Shop around, but do some workshops first so that you know what you are buying.
  • Shop Authentic Textiles in Bagru: Purchase authentic Bagru prints directly from the artisans and small studios in the village, support the local economy and take home unique, handcrafted textiles that can only be found in this village. They are truly one of a kind. I have a big growing collection that I printed myself and that I bought on my visits.
  • Visit Anokhi in Jaipur: Don’t miss the chocolate and carrot cake at Anokhi Cafe in Jaipur. Have tea and cake after a great shopping experience at the Anokhi shop. Thank me later.

Discovering Bagru: The Timeless Art Of Indian Block Printing

Posted on by Lizane Louw
Artisans in Bagru engage in the traditional craft of block printing. They take the freshly printed and dyed textiles out of containers in an open field near their workshop. The labour-intensive print and dye process involves meticulous work and testifies to the region's rich cultural heritage and skilled craftsmanship. The ancient block printing techniques of Bagru thrive. These master craftsmen create beautiful, intricate patterns on fabrics that are loved by people all over the world. Photo Lizane Louw
Artisans in Bagru engage in the traditional craft of block printing. They take the freshly printed and dyed textiles out of containers in an open field near their workshop. The labour-intensive print and dye process involves meticulous work and testifies to the region’s rich cultural heritage and skilled craftsmanship. The ancient block printing techniques of Bagru thrive. These master craftsmen create beautiful, intricate patterns on fabrics that are loved by people all over the world. Photo Lizane Louw

In the dusty streets of a village in Rajasthan, the narrow alleyways whisper stories of tradition and artistry. Rainbow-coloured block-printed textiles hang from balconies and rooftops, swaying in the breeze. This is Bagru, a village where the art of block printing has been thriving for centuries, and around every corner, you find scenes `reminiscent of a living cultural museum.

I accidentally discovered Bagru, 35 km southwest of Jaipur, in 2016 when I set out on my first textile print adventure in Northern India. Living in South Korea then, I was experimenting with image transfers to canvas and experimental print projects, and I wanted to learn more about screen printing.

Bagru, a local Rajasthani village untouched by time and development, invites textile lovers, designers and history buffs to experience history, eco-conscious textile traditions, and an irresistible local vibe.

Artisans lay freshly dyed fabrics in shades of green, blue, and pink to dry under the Rajasthani sun, next to a traditional block printing workshop in India. The craftsmen hang and spread the vibrant textiles across open spaces and the fields between the buildings. This scene highlights the labour-intensive and meticulous nature of the block printing crafts. This knowledge has been passed down through generations and is a significant part of India's economy and cultural heritage. Photo Lizane Louw
Artisans lay freshly dyed fabrics in shades of green, blue, and pink to dry under the Rajasthani sun, next to a traditional block printing workshop in India. The craftsmen hang and spread the vibrant textiles across open spaces and the fields between the buildings. This scene highlights the labour-intensive and meticulous nature of the block printing crafts. This knowledge has been passed down through generations and is a significant part of India’s economy and cultural heritage. Photo Lizane Louw

History of the block printing community

Bagru’s textile traditions date back over 300 years. The village’s unique block printing methods, including Bagru and Dabu prints, have been passed down through generations by the storytelling of ancestors. The rich history of this community is tied to a vibrant history of patterns, pigments and prints.

The Chhippa community of Bagru is renowned for its traditional block printing techniques. The term “Chhippa” originates from the Hindi word “Chhapa,” which means “to print” or “to stamp.” This community of craftworkers are hand-block printing artisans known for various printing techniques on textiles, which are the foundations of their cultural heritage.

The community migrated to Bagru from other regions in the north and west of India towards the region centuries ago, bringing the art and craft of intricate block printing techniques with them. This craft became the livelihood of the small Bagru community, with the number of textile artisans in the industry fluctuating.

There are many families, estimated 200+ in the area, engaged in the block printing craft, with each family having multiple members involved in different stages of the production and textile creation process. These craftsmen and their skills make this area a renowned centre for textile artistry in Rajasthan.

In this Chhippa community, you can experience the best of textile of the block print heritage and craft traditions. This community’s knowledge and skills span generations, and various textile printing workshops and studios are scattered around.

Artisans work in a traditional block printing workshop in India, soaking and dyeing fabrics in large vats and water baths. Block printing and dyeing involve multiple steps, including preparing the cloth, printing and dyeing it with various colours, washing it, and ensuring the dye is set. Each stage requires meticulous attention and skill, highlighting the artisans' dedication and expertise. This vibrant and labour-intensive craft is integral to India's rich textile heritage. Photo Lizane Louw
Artisans work in a traditional block printing workshop in India, soaking and dyeing fabrics in large vats and water baths. Block printing and dyeing involve multiple steps, including preparing the cloth, printing and dyeing it with various colours, washing it, and ensuring the dye is set. Each stage requires meticulous attention and skill, highlighting the artisans’ dedication and expertise. This vibrant and labour-intensive craft is integral to India’s rich textile heritage. Photo Lizane Louw

This village is all about sustainability and eco-conscious textile print traditions. What is most astounding is how history and religion intertwine; the presence of the gods worshipped by the community and spirits of an age-old craft, the block printing gods, are visible in every little textile print room.

Inside a traditional block printing workshop in India, shelves lined with intricately carved wooden blocks for printing patterns onto fabric. The room, adorned with images of Hindu deities, reflects the craft's cultural and spiritual significance. This space highlights the enduring heritage and skilled craftsmanship that define India's well-known and respected textile industry. Photo Lizane Louw
Inside a traditional block printing workshop in India, shelves lined with intricately carved wooden blocks for printing patterns onto fabric. The room, adorned with images of Hindu deities, reflects the craft’s cultural and spiritual significance. This space highlights the enduring heritage and skilled craftsmanship that define India’s well-known and respected textile industry. Photo Lizane Louw

Bagru: A Journey Through Time

Imagine picking pages from a coffee-stained history book and dropping every page into a modern world. That is Bagru.

The village vibe is chilled and traditional, and the streets are filled with villagers wearing beautiful block printed and other textile creations. From the Bagru printed textiles, Dabu designs and all familiar red Rajasthani shibori headscarves. I found the dress sense of the villagers fascinating, the men in their white kurtas with these incredible headscarves and gamchas. Woman on motorcycles, sitting at the back of the bike, legs swung to one side, comfortable in their beautiful sarees, crisscrossing through the traffic. Sometimes, the glitter of the golden printed detail glimmers in the sun. I am always awestruck by what I see in every overcrowded traffic jam.

Bagru is a visual experience like no other. With its rustic charm, block printing and mud printing studios and centuries-old textile traditions, this village is a very good example of the spirit of Rajasthan.

The more time you spend in the dusty streets of this village, the more you learn about what to look at and what you see around you. Every corner is an inspiration. The architecture, the little shops, the vibe, the chai, and, oh, let’s not forget, the textiles.

Two women carefully print, inspect, and fold freshly printed textiles in a busy Dabu printing studio. Surrounded by stacks of colourful fabrics and shelves lined with wooden printing blocks, the artisans work in a space that displays this ancient craft's rich tradition and heritage. The intricate patterns on the cloth and the vibrant colours reflect the skill and dedication of the crafsmen that in create these beautiful, hand-block printed, handcrafted textiles. Photo Lizane Louw
Two women carefully print, inspect, and fold freshly printed textiles in a busy Dabu printing studio. Surrounded by stacks of colourful fabrics and shelves lined with wooden printing blocks, the artisans work in a space that displays this ancient craft’s rich tradition and heritage. The intricate patterns on the cloth and the vibrant colours reflect the skill and dedication of the craftsmen that create these beautiful, hand-block printed, handcrafted textiles. Photo Lizane Louw

Bagru is my favourite village in India, and the more time I spend in Rajasthan on my visits, the deeper these community footprints settle in my heart.

Time does feel like it has stopped in this village. The only visual signs and symbols that give away that we are, in fact, still with our feet in the “real” world, would be dusty cars and Honda motorbikes with two or more people (or even a family) winding through the streets. You also see designer jeans and bleach-clean Nikes here and there.

Also, a dead giveaway is the electric scooters that zoom past with very little sign of pollution and noise. Cows roam the narrow lanes between the concrete buildings; they are worshipped and honourable members of these communities. Some are dangerous, and I had to walk in circles around these giant beasts with their sharp horns a couple of times for my safety, as I was told to do by everyone I worked with at the printing studios.

The areas I explored around Jaipur and Bagru were somewhat rural and undeveloped, and you could feel what everyday life is like spending time with the locals. Bagru is also notoriously difficult to get to; I had to fork out thousands of Rupees for my taxi transport to and from Jaipur. The local bus journeys are long, and the buses from Jaipur are packed. The local Jeep desert taxis are also very overcrowded and will probably take time and effort to navigate, especially if you don’t speak Hindi.

That said, it is worth every Euro to be transported back in time; you can lose yourself in your imagination and artistic expression, which is a way of life in this Rajasthani village. Even if I tried, I cannot describe my love for this dusty old Rajasthani village in words. The local food is so spicy that my stomach burns, but I know I can eat plates of chappatis; they are delicious, and the chai is good. Local in Bagru is lekker!

Textile printing is not just an art in Bagru but an important economic activity. The craft provides livelihood to hundreds of families working in the village’s textile industry. Tourism driven by these block printing crafts brings much-needed revenue to the community. Tourists visiting support local businesses, craft studios, workshops, and artisans. The economic impact of these heritage crafts extends beyond the village walls and contributes to the broader regional economy.

A master printer and seasoned artisan carefully applies a wooden block to fabric, creating intricate geometric patterns in a traditional block printing workshop in India. She demonstrates the precision and skill required for the ancient craft of Dabu, printing with a steady hand and keen attention to detail. Photo Lizane Louw
A master printer and seasoned artisan carefully applies a wooden block to fabric, creating intricate geometric patterns in a traditional block printing workshop in India. She demonstrates the precision and skill required for the ancient craft of Dabu, printing with a steady hand and keen attention to detail. Photo Lizane Louw

Learning block printing from the Masters

My journey into Bagru’s textile traditions began at a Jai Texart Printing Workshop in 2016. I spent a few days working with a master artisan, Laal Chand. I learned about Bagru and Dabu printing traditions from the very knowledgeable Hermant Sethia, the owner of Jai Texart. My interactions and textile experiments with Mr Chand and his creative mastery of mud and mud printing designs got me hooked on mud printing. I am Mr Chand’s biggest fan. I call him Mr Red Moon; he is the inspiration for an ongoing iteration of the first mud print design I made with him. The second one is currently in print in Bagru.

Mr Heman Sethia, Owner of Jai Textart, Jaipur. Photo Lizane Louw (Bagru, 2016)
Mr Hemant Sethia, Owner of Jai Textart, Jaipur. Photo Lizane Louw (Bagru, 2016)
A jar of indigo dye from Jai Texart sits beside beautifully printed fabrics on a workshop table in Bagru. Photo Lizane Louw (Bagru, 2016)
A jar of indigo dye from Jai Texart sits beside beautifully printed fabrics on workshop table at Jai Textart. Photo Lizane Louw (Bagru, 2016)
Mr Laal Chand, my first Dabu print teacher at the Indigo Vat at Jai Textart. (Bagru, 2016)




Mr Laal Chand, my first Dabu print teacher at the Indigo Vat at Jai Textart. Photo Lizane Louw (Bagru, 2016)

Since then, I have taken more workshops guided and taught by Mr Chand again in 2024; when I am in Bagru, I always stop at the workshop to see him. We communicate in broken Hindi and English; he is always keen to help and guide.

Mr. Laal Chand and Ms. Chand at the workshop of Jai Textart in Baru, 2024. Mr. Chand's ( Mr. Red Moon's) skill, deep love, and knowledge of the craft got me interested in Dabu printing. My interactions with Mr Chand changed my life. I will forever be grateful for all the guidance, skills, and knowledge he quietly and generously transferred to me. I am and forever will be his biggest fan! Photo Lizane Louw.
Mr. Laal Chand and Ms. Chand at the workshop of Jai Textart in Baru, 2024. Mr. Chand’s (Mr. Red Moon’s) skill, deep love, and knowledge of the craft got me interested in Dabu printing. My interactions with Mr Chand changed my life. I will forever be grateful for all the guidance, skills, and knowledge he quietly and generously shared with me. I am and forever will be his biggest fan! Photo Lizane Louw.

A highlight of my time in Bagru in March 2024 was the time I spent with the Medadwal family of printers and dyers. The Mud and Water Workshops are one of a kind; I spent four days with Mr Medatwal, Akash and Avinash.

A cup of masala chai with a block print master. I spent days at Mud and Water’s studios in Bagru with master printer Digamber Medatwal and his three sons. I can write a book about the knowledge these master craftsmen transferred in our workshops. You know when you are in the presence of a master. Photo Lizane Louw
A cup of masala chai with a block print master. I spent days at Mud and Water’s studios in Bagru with master printer Digamber Medatwal and his three sons. I can write a book about the knowledge these master craftsmen transferred in our workshops. You know when you are in the presence of a master. Photo Lizane Louw

It was a life-changing experience, and what I learned from these master printers opened my eyes and made me appreciate the craft even more. I discovered the “Lila Technique.” Avinash told me that I was the first person he knew who was painting with mud.

Motorbike rides on the back of Avinash’s electric scooter, exploring the streets and diving underneath dusty print tables and old cloths to look for interesting blocks are some of the fondest memories of this experience. Avinash goes above and beyond when he teaches you, and I got to see corners of Bagru that very few people do.

My most patient teacher Avinash. My time spent learning the craft with Avinash was a highlight of my time in Bagru in March 2024. Avinash's guidance and expertise provided me with invaluable insights into the intricate techniques of block printing. His patience and dedication to teaching the craft in a very hands on practical way, enriched my understanding and appreciation of this traditional art form. I am going to walk a long road with this teacher and master printer. I hope that I will get the chance to introduce our Western design and print traditions to him too. Photo Lizane Louw.
My most patient teacher Avinash. My time spent learning the craft with Avinash was a highlight of my time in Bagru in March 2024. Avinash’s guidance and expertise provided me with invaluable insights into the intricate techniques of block printing. His patience and dedication to teaching the craft in a very hands on practical way, enriched my understanding and appreciation of this traditional art form. I am going to walk a long road with this teacher and master printer. I hope that I will get the chance to introduce our Western design and print traditions to him too. Photo Lizane Louw.

Drinking chai with and watching Mr Medatwal, Avinash’s dad, work on my textiles and correcting some print mistakes I made was encouraging. His love and extensive knowledge of the craft, his sharing his practice, and watching him work was the best educational experience I could have ever asked for. This was what I was looking for; it was a very encouraging and inspirational experience to see award-winning Chhippa masters in action. The skill and artistry of this family are next level.

Each of these experiences, with all these craftspeople, was very special and inspired a new creative direction for my work and career.

The textile printing of this region is world-famous, and I can understand why. What draws me most is the secret of the inks and mud pastes they use in the studios. What I love is that these traditions are challenging to replicate. You can only find mud for Dabu on the river banks that flow in the region. Each studio has secret recipes for inks, dyes and mud paste for the mud cloths.

If you want to know more, head to Bagru and find a master printer to spend time with. Even better, stay for some workshops, spicy food and some chai!

An artisan carves an intricate floral pattern into a wooden block, an essential tool in India's traditional block printing process. The craftsmanship and precision required to create these blocks are evident as he carefully chisels each design to ensure perfect prints. This is where artistry meets the skill needed to produce the beautiful, detailed patterns that adorn the block-printed fabrics of the region. Photo Lizane Louw
An artisan carves an intricate floral pattern into a wooden block, an essential tool in India’s traditional block printing process. The craftsmanship and precision required to create these blocks are evident as he carefully chisels each design to ensure perfect prints. This is where artistry meets the skill needed to produce the beautiful, detailed patterns that adorn the block-printed fabrics of the region. Photo Lizane Louw

The Artistry of Wooden Blocks

Artisans carve intricated designs and patterns into wooden blocks to achieve these masterpieces of textile craft this region is known for. Each block is a work of art. I spend hours with master block makers, observing the detailed work that comes to life as they carve intricate floral and geometric patterns and designs that are the symbols of this community.

An artisan carves a wooden block with focused concentration, creating the intricate designs used in traditional block printing in India. Photo Lizane Louw
An artisan carves a wooden block with focused concentration, creating the intricate designs used in traditional block printing in India. Photo Lizane Louw
An antique block used for mud printing, discovered in the oldest print shop in Bagru, stands as a silent testament to the rich history of block printing in India. Photo Lizane Louw
An antique block used for mud printing, discovered in the oldest print shop in Bagru, stands as a silent testament to the rich history of block printing in India. Photo Lizane Louw
This close-up shot highlights the precision and craftsmanship required to create these exquisite designs. Photo Lizane Louw
This close-up shot highlights the precision and craftsmanship required to create these exquisite designs. Photo Lizane Louw

I was amazed by the work of Mr Naseem Khan and his team of block carvers. I visited his shop several times while printing in Bagru.

The walls of Mr Khans’ shop are lined from top to bottom with carved wood block treasures. Each block narrates the stories of Bagru’s rich history. With every visit, I learn more about the design of blocks, and I can see and appreciate the modern, more Western design influence. I can spend days hanging out in these tiny block shops; it is incredible what the human hand can create with such primitive carving tools and a piece of wood.

History is lived daily in this desert village and not confined to text or history books. History is etched into Bagru’s identity. History in this print village and living textile museum is alive all around you each day.

What I find most inspirational is that most craftsmen are taught by their parents, and the stories and practises are from their ancestors. This is the magic of this craft; this craft can’t be studied in flashy universities and expensive colleges; you need to go to Bagru and get your hands dirty with ink and mud and stain your fingers with the tradition of the locals.

The textiles produced in Bagru hold great cultural significance in Rajasthan. They are not just fabrics and printed cloths but symbols of heritage and tradition. In most communities in the area, they are also symbols of status and identity. These prints are still used as traditional attire for weddings and other significant cultural events in the community. The patterns and colours carry meanings and stories passed down through generations. Wearing Bagru prints allows the local Rajasthanis to connect with their roots and celebrate history.

Rolls of intricately patterned and vibrantly coloured block-printed fabrics are stacked in a workshop in India. These textiles, featuring traditional designs and rich hues, represent the artistry and heritage of block printing. Each piece represents the culmination of meticulous craftsmanship, from carving the blocks to applying the inks and dye to the finished product. Photo Lizane Louw
Rolls of intricately patterned and vibrantly coloured block-printed fabrics are stacked in a workshop in India. These textiles, featuring traditional designs and rich hues, represent the artistry and heritage of block printing. Each piece represents the culmination of meticulous craftsmanship, from carving the blocks to applying the inks and dye to the finished product. Photo Lizane Louw

Colours created by Nature and used in block printing

Bagru’s Chhippas have developed some of the most unique and eco-friendly textile print traditions — their world and textile crafts are printed and coloured in natural, eco-friendly colours.

The more time you spend in the community and learn about the craft, the more you will start to recognise the colour palettes of Bagru printing madder, harda, turmeric, horseshoe iron, kashish and indigo. I am always amazed by the brews I learn about in the natural dye process. The dyes and liquids that set the textiles are like big pots of tea made from mixtures of flowers and seeds, brewed and steeped on open-air fires in some studios’ back streets and corners.

An artisan's hands skillfully stir a vat of indigo dye, one of the essential steps in India's Dabu print printing process. Photo Lizane Louw
An artisan’s hands skillfully stir a vat of indigo dye, one of the essential steps in India’s Dabu print printing process. Photo Lizane Louw
The vibrant textiles, featuring intricate patterns, sway in the breeze, showcasing the beauty and craftsmanship of this traditional craft form. Photo Lizane Louw
The vibrant textiles, featuring intricate patterns, sway in the breeze, showcasing the beauty and craftsmanship of this traditional craft form. Photo Lizane Louw
A skilled artisan holds a freshly dyed indigo fabric showcasing the results of India's traditional block Dabu printing process. Photo Lizane Louw
A skilled artisan holds a freshly dyed indigo fabric showcasing the results of India’s traditional Dabu block printing process. Photo Lizane Louw

I am drawn to this “alchemy” of organic inks, natural dyes and mud. Most of the pigments used are colours from Nature. Inks and dyes made of plants and minerals. Most of the processes followed by the block printing communities are simple but so profound. The inks are also long-lasting and durable. I still drape myself in the scarves I created eight years ago; they look like the day I printed them. In short, they are stunning. I still can’t believe that I made these textile pieces myself. My collection grows as my research and print experiments continue.

What I like most is that the experimentation with colours, pigments and prints continues today. More experiments are being done with tea, herbs, spices, gum, and other minerals. I was told that these experiments take time and are sometimes a hit or a miss. I was shown some samples of textiles that Avinash is experimenting with, all-natural dyes.

The organic dye palettes I saw and experimented with are any artist’s dream. Even though the natural palette of Bagru printing is based on only a few colours, the combinations of the colours and the dyes give variety. I can drape my whole house in indigo and prints made from kashish.

These colours I love so much result from years of experimentation, trial and error and research done by the artisans. This timeless textile art tradition and its use of natural resources in the environment and natural world is truly inspiring.

An artisan applies a wooden block to fabric, creating a precise geometric pattern in a traditional block printing workshop in India. The methodical Dabu printing process involves pressing the block, coated with mud, onto the fabric to transfer the intricate design. This close-up image highlights the detailed craftsmanship and skill required in mud block printing. Photo Lizane Louw
An artisan applies a wooden block to fabric, creating a precise geometric pattern in a traditional block printing workshop in India. The methodical Dabu printing process involves pressing the block, coated with mud, onto the fabric to transfer the intricate design. This close-up image highlights the detailed craftsmanship and skill required in mud block printing. Photo Lizane Louw

Mud Printing: Block printing, earth and art

The most exciting print technique I ever encountered in my research into printing and textile experiments was Dabu mud printing. This block printing tradition, where artisans create mud cloth, is an art form as old as time itself. I know of some variations of this print tradition in Africa, Europe and Japan. In Nothern Germany and Austria, blueprinting, a resist print method, is a well-known and respected craft.

The Dabu process of Bagru is very earthy. Local river mud is used as a resist paste to print designs on cloths, and the fabric is then dyed with natural dyes to create intricate patterns and designs. I was honoured to work with many skilled artisans from this community, experimenting and learning about Dabu printing. The skills of masters that I observed and worked with led me through this fascinating journey of creating mud cloths. I learned some tricks from a few printers and was told how to make the mud paste and how to experiment.

An artisan diligently works on a piece of fabric using a wooden block to apply intricate mud patterns in a traditional block printing workshop in India. Surrounded by stacks of dried textiles and shelves filled with printing blocks, she carefully aligns each block to ensure precision. The detailed process and the rich cultural heritage it represents are evident in her focused efforts and the beautiful designs that emerge. Photo Lizane Louw
An artisan diligently works on a piece of fabric using a wooden block to apply intricate mud patterns in a traditional block printing workshop in India. Surrounded by stacks of dried textiles and shelves filled with printing blocks, she carefully aligns each block to ensure precision. The detailed process and the rich cultural heritage it represents are evident in her focused efforts and the beautiful designs that emerge. Photo Lizane Louw
Artisans in a traditional block printing workshop in India meticulously apply patterns to fabric using wooden blocks and mud. Working side by side, they create intricate designs on meters of cloth. Around them, shelves are filled with various blocks that line the walls. Photo Lizane Louw
Artisans in a traditional block printing workshop in India meticulously apply patterns to fabric using wooden blocks and mud. Working side by side, they create intricate designs on meters of cloth. Around them, shelves are filled with various blocks that line the walls. Photo Lizane Louw

But for me, Dabu can only be done in Bagru and the surrounding villages. The secret ingredients are mud from the river banks, the indigo and kashish from the region, and the hot Rajasthani sun that bakes the mud on the cloth, which dries very quickly.

The mud paste dries and, as a resistance, preserves the hidden designs beneath; Bagru’s earth-inspired artistry is nothing short of magic. I am hooked.

The Long Dark Shadow of Mass Production and Machines

Yet, amidst the charm of Bagru, lies threats, dark and unknown shadows—the development of the textile industry and the art form’s uncertain future. Ageing artisans today struggle to pass down their wisdom and experience to a generation drawn to the allure of urban life, the big developing cities and high-paying international jobs.

Youngsters in the communities are encouraged to become software engineers or fashion designers. Who would want to work in these warm conditions in the desert with their hands?

Guardians of the block print tradition

Amidst the challenges the community and the block printing crafts face, there is hope. A few organisations and individuals are working to safeguard Bagru’s block printing tradition. I also hope that sharing my personal experience and the work I created will inspire more people to think about these incredible artistic heritage crafts and the benefits of slow fashion.

Most importantly, I want to encourage everyone to start thinking about the dyes and inks used on their clothes; it is also important to consider where your clothes come from and the communities creating them.

My experiences in Bagru deepened my understanding of block print heritage craft’s fragile yet resilient nature. The Chhippas, their history, the organic inks, natural dyes, and mud printing are genuine treasures deserving recognition and protection.

A master printer carefully applies a wooden block to a length of fabric in a traditional block printing workshop in India. The serene, blue-walled workspace reflects the beautiful and visual nature of the craft. The artisans align each print with precision. He is skilled in creating the intricate patterns that characterise this ancient textile art form. Knowledge is passed down through generations and is a craft that is still thriving today. Photo Lizane Louw
A master printer carefully applies a wooden block to a length of fabric in a traditional block printing workshop in India. The serene, blue-walled workspace reflects the beautiful and visual nature of the craft. The artisans align each print with precision. He is skilled in creating the intricate patterns that characterise this ancient textile art form. Knowledge is passed down through generations and is a craft that is still thriving today. Photo Lizane Louw

Bagru, with its timeless magic, is an invitation to explore, appreciate, and be inspired not only by village life in Rajasthan but by the resilience of a community that loves its craft. This village also reminds us that sustainable cultural practices are everywhere, just like Bagru. We should head out, explore and experience the remarkable stories of artisans and then share our experiences with others. In this way, we become advocates for protecting these heritage crafts.

Artisans showcase their expertise in traditional  Bagru and Dabu block printing in India; designs are meticulously applied with mud and inks onto fabric. Each artisan demonstrates a unique process phase, from aligning patterns to ensuring precision in every print. Their dedication and skill preserve this ancient art form, creating beautiful textiles celebrating India's rich cultural heritage. Photo Lizane Louw
Artisans showcase their expertise in traditional  Bagru and Dabu block printing in India; designs are meticulously applied with mud and inks onto fabric. Each artisan demonstrates a unique process phase, from aligning patterns to ensuring precision in every print. Their dedication and skill preserve this ancient art form, creating beautiful textiles celebrating India's rich cultural heritage. Photo Lizane Louw
Artisans showcase their expertise in traditional  Bagru and Dabu block printing in India; designs are meticulously applied with mud and inks onto fabric. Each artisan demonstrates a unique process phase, from aligning patterns to ensuring precision in every print. Their dedication and skill preserve this ancient art form, creating beautiful textiles celebrating India's rich cultural heritage. Photo Lizane Louw

Artisans showcase their expertise in traditional Bagru and Dabu block printing in India; designs are meticulously applied with mud and inks onto fabric. Each artisan demonstrates a unique phase in each printing process, from aligning patterns to ensuring precision in every print. Their dedication and skill preserve this ancient art form, creating beautiful textiles celebrating India’s rich cultural heritage. Photo Lizane Louw

I want to express my gratitude and deep respect to all the artisans, block carvers, and block printers who contributed to my learning and this journey. I extend an even warmer appreciation to you, dear reader.

With your curiosity and interest in reading this story about my personal experience, I hope I made the magic of Bagru’s block printing tradition come alive for you. May you one day carry the spirit of Bagru with you by investing in a Bagru or Dabu print and following through on this invitation to explore, preserve, and be inspired. If you love textiles and printing, you know where to go.

Bagru taught me so much; one thing I learned from my explorations of the villages in the Thar desert is that there are some cool places to visit, especially off the map and off the regular tourist cycle. Visiting these places can and will be life-changing.

Most of these places might be very hard to get to and navigate when you are there, but these experiences are worth it. There are places like Bagru waiting to be discovered, stories waiting to be told, and sustainable traditions waiting to be celebrated. May your travels, like mine, lead you to places that fuel your curiosity and inspire you to think and live more sustainably.

I look forward to my next visit to the dusty streets of this printer village in the heart of Rajasthan.

Additional Resources:

This section will be updated as my research continues.

Books:

Gillow, J., & Barnard, N. (1991). Indian textiles. Thames & Hudson.

“Indian Textiles” by John Gillow and Nicholas Barnard explores the diverse textile traditions of India, covering the history, techniques, and cultural significance of weaving, dyeing, printing, and embroidery. Richly illustrated with good visual examples, the book highlights regional styles and the artistry of Indian textiles. This is a good starting point if you want to learn more about heritage textiles, textile arts and the Indian culture.

What not to miss in the area:

  • Block Printing Workshops: Participate in hands-on block printing workshops offered by studios in Bagru or Jaipur; contact me for more information, I worked with three family run operations and would love to share my experiences and suggestions with you.
  • Visit the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing: Explore textile exhibits showcasing the history and techniques of block printing.
  • Textile Shopping: Jaipur is not a village. It is more like a market, mall or giant bazaar; you can shop your heart out. Visit markets like Johari Bazaar, Bapu Bazaar, and Tripolia Bazaar for hand-printed textiles and other local arts and crafts.
  • Shop Authentic Textiles in Bagru: Purchase authentic Bagru prints directly from the artisans and small studios in the village, support the local economy and take home unique, handcrafted textiles that can only be found in this village. They are truly one of a kind.
  • Visit Anokhi in Jaipur: Last but most importantly, don’t miss the chocolate and carrot cake at Anokhi Cafe in Jaipur. Have tea and cake after a great shopping experience at the Anokhi shop. Thank me later.

Framing Time: Kolmanskop Through My Lens – A Photographic Travelogue

Posted on by Lizane Louw
"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.
Preserved by the Namib: Kolmanskop’s Early-20th-Century charm stands against time’s relentless march. Photo Lizane Louw

The sun hangs low in the Namibian sky, casting long shadows over the sun-burned dunes and remnants of a once-thriving German diamond mining town in the Namib, Kolmanskop. The orange-red sand ebbs and flows and reclaims the space. The ever-shifting mass of pale ochre is swallowing the memory of a bygone era.

As the sun set over the dunes, the light cast its last russet and tawny lines on the horizon. We are covered in desert dust as we walk back to the White Rhino, the Toyota Bakkie, waiting to drive back to Luderitz.

My heart was whole.

A childhood dream came full circle. I know what we experienced on an expedition exploring the desert that afternoon will be a very different space tomorrow as the rhythm of the elements re-creates and sculpts the amber-coloured landscapes.

Our photo adventure at Kolmanskop was a journey through my memories and a trip into the heart of one of Namibia’s most popular and photographed destinations.

In this photographic travelogue, I will share an experience that profoundly impacted my young mind as a child. The first photographs of Kolmanskop I ever saw sparked a fascination with this abandoned German mining town, its history and a curiosity about Africa’s colonial past.

But I am not the only one; the eerie allure of this abandoned town has fascinated photographers, explorers and dreamers for generations.

Kolmanskop, a ghost town frozen in time, we explored the rich history and allure of this unique Namibian landscape in 2019.

Childhood Inspiration: Kolmanskop

As a teen, I often lost my imagination in printed images of Kolmanskop, which my mother proudly displayed on our living room wall. Those A4 framed images etched a lasting impression.

From the first moment I saw those photos, I knew that one day, I would like to explore that otherworldly place with the doors swallowed by burned orange dunes.

My dad is Namibian, and we lived in Namibia for a couple of years. My parents are explorers and love to travel around Southern Africa, sometimes disappearing for months at a time when I was a grownup, living my adventures in Asia and Europe.

On one such trip, one of the many they had exploring the desert landscapes back in the day, my mom bought two prints of Kolmanskop.

Whenever I looked at the images, my curiosity was piqued; I remember the contrast of the colours and the sand-filled rooms of the abandoned buildings. In my imagination, I always transported myself to that place.

"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.
A time capsule in the desert. Kolmanskop’s ghostly beauty beckons explorers to witness its beauty and decay. Photo Lizane Louw
"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.
Kolmanskop’s surreal transformation: The doors tell stories of a vanishing history. Photo Lizane Louw

I developed a fascination with doors. In my mind, the scenes of weathered wood are silent testimonies to a forgotten history. The faded, chipped paint, with light bouncing off the wood’s edge, contrasts starkly with the ever-shifting invading dunes slowly swallowing the space.

Partially buried and slightly ajar, these doors are surreal artworks created by the forces of nature, sculpted by time and the elements. These scenes make a captivating play of light and shadow.

These were the vistas that caught my attention and sparked my curiosity. These scenes continue to inspire visual narratives, stories of impermanence and transience.

"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.

Kolmanskop’s enduring allure: These doors, battered by the elements, remain steadfast, against all odds. Photo by Lizane Louw.”
"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.
Kolmanskop’s quiet demise: A photograph that is a powerful testament to time’s constant movement. Photo Lizane Louw

The Rise and Fall of Luxury in the Desert

Kolmanskop’s history, once tied to a glitzy promise of diamonds, now stands as a testament to time and the power of nature to reclaim. The area surrounding Kolmanskop was initially inhabited by indigenous Nama and Damara communities, who had lived in harmony with the harsh and unforgiving Namib Desert for centuries.

The late 19th century brought in the European colonial powers vying for control of the abundance of natural resources and control of Africa.

This region in Southern Africa fell under German colonial rule. During German control, diamonds were first discovered in the Namib Desert. A railway worker, Zacharias Lawala’s discovery led to the rapid development of this desert mining village in the early 1900’s.

"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.
A gateway to Africa’s colonial history: Kolmanskop’s
time-worn signpost beckons modern-day explorers. Photo Lizane Louw

The Germans built a thriving community in this barren desert; they brought luxury with modern comforts, like a school, a hospital, a ballroom and some amenities few locals would know and recognise at the time. At the time, the Germans also developed a tram system in Africa.

The diamond rush was short-lived; the world wars and the depletion of the diamond resources led to the village slowly running empty and declining. The town’s history was also scarred with the legacy of colonial exploitation and violence as the Germans committed a genocide against the Herero people in 1904. Locals were forced to work as labourers in these mines during the dark days of colonial oppression in Namibia.

The abandoned buildings at Kolmanskop serve as a poignant reminder of both the colonial ambitions of the European region at the time and the fleeting nature of human existence in the face of nature’s power.

"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.
A sign of time: The silent dance between Kolmanskop and the Namib Desert. Photo Lizane Louw
"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.
The Namib Desert is slowly reclaiming the space. Photo by Lizane Louw

Preparing for an epic journey of discovery

After living between Southern and Eastern Asian countries for over a decade and completing a master’s degree in journalism, it was time to head home to Africa, this time with my German partner (now husband).

We jumped into a Toyota Hilux bakkie with my mom and dad and took a safari road trip and photo expedition spanning 8500 km and four Southern African countries.

We had no plan, made no bookings for accommodation, had no maps, and relied on my dad’s expertise and knowledge of Southern Africa.

Into the Wild- An African Wilderness Expedition A journey of discovery: an 8500 km photo expedition and safari in Southern Africa.
Into the Wild- An African Wilderness Expedition
A journey of discovery: an 8500 km photo expedition and safari in Southern Africa.

If anyone knows the bush and the open road, it is my dad. So, I felt completely safe and happy with no plan or idea of what we were doing. We left the whole experience to chance and good weather and made our way according to the sun and how we felt.

On the month-long journey, we camped in bungalows, wild camps and guest houses along the open road—one of our first stops in Kolmanskop.

It was entirely by chance that we could stay at Lüderitz to visit this world-famous cultural heritage site.

I think this was a perfect plan- no plan. So, every experience on this trip was an unplanned adventure. Of course, my dad had the plan in his head; he has driven this road and the roads we did on that trip many times.

That road also now, this expedition, a favourite of mine. I have recently created the map of this epic road trip and expedition, with the help of the most hardcore explorer I know, my dad —Into the Wild, An African Wilderness Expedition- A Journey of Discovery: an 8500 km photo expedition and safari in Southern Africa.

The Long-Awaited Journey to Kolmanskop

We arrived at Kolmanskop early in the morning, had some coffee in the coffee shop and asked one of the staff if we could leave our bigger bags and some jackets in the shop.

It was winter, cold in the morning, and as the sun climbed higher in the sky, it got warmer and sunnier in the desert.

The air was dry, and a breeze blew through the abandoned buildings. The scene reminded me of one of those old cowboy movies. We set out just after the site opened and spent the whole day exploring until sunset.

There was much to discover. We explored all the buildings we could and created images where we went. I felt like I was in a dream world for hours, with each scene we entered differently from the next. Sand everywhere.

I drank a lot of water that day, and so did Daniel. It was hot. The sand made soft layers of gold on our skin and clothes. My lips were cracking. My skin was very dry.

Immersing in the Desert Landscape

"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.
History swallowed by sand: Kolmanskop’s haunting elegance is slowly disappearing. Photo by Lizane Louw

Nothing can prepare you for this photo expedition and exploration of Kolmanskop; it was one of the most demanding shoots I ever did. The light inside these buildings was challenging, and being the purist that I am, I like to shoot on camera, and the contrasts from the inside of the buildings, looking out, were so strong. I did not want to carry a tripod with me, and I experimented a bit with bouncing flash, but it was way too tricky.

At the time, I was shooting with a Nikon D7000, an old faithful travel companion of a decade. I had my iPhone 8 with me; it was just over two years old then, and I have to say that I was rather impressed with the photos I could shoot with the iPhone.

"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.
Kolmanskop Namibia. This image was created with the iPhone 8 Plus, 2019.

"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.
Kolmanskop Namibia. This image was created with the iPhone 8 Plus, 2019.

I have not printed any of the work from the iPhone yet; that will be a project I will take on in the future. All these photos have been sitting in my archive for four years. With this thought, I have to refer back to some rock-solid advice I got as a young photojournalist at one of the photography masters courses I did. “Never delete any of your photographs; editing programs change, and technology will improve; keep your archive organised and revisit it when the time comes.”

So, it is today– and will be.

Documenting the Adventure

With our cameras, we sought to capture every angle of Kolmanskop’s decay, from the play of light and shadows to the intricate details and beauty of the abandoned buildings.

I realised from spending hours exploring the space that the light constantly changes the vistas, and so does the interior of the buildings; your chances of getting good photographs are in the hands of nature as the light dances and shadows bounce off the walls down the abandoned corridors—every scene, eerily moving and beautiful.

We revisited a couple of our favourite scenes in the town a couple of times that day, and as the sun was moving in the sky, the scenery changed. The ever-evolving sand’s shape and colour shifted constantly.

Once the sun started to set, I felt slightly panicked as we were informed of wild animals that roam the space after sunset.

"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.
From glory to desert dust: Kolmanskop’s silent descent into the Namib. Photo Lizane Louw

Discovering Hidden Stories Imagining the Past of Kolmanskop

Walking through the abandoned houses and buildings, I couldn’t help but imagine those who once called the space their home. I imagined their joys and sorrows and the immense struggles they must have faced at the turn of the 20th century in this remote desert outpost.

Sitting for what seemed like hours in one of the most well-preserved buildings on a hill on the outskirts of the village, I could only imagine what the spaces looked like and what stories the walls held. I imagined the room filled with laughter and music.

My curiosity was piqued, and I knew that one day, I would like to write a historical feature sharing the story of this space.

"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.
Resilience in decay: Kolmanskop’s remnants stand against time and the power of nature. Photo by Lizane Louw
"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.
Kolmanskop’s quiet demise: A photograph that is a powerful testament to time’s constant movement. Photo Lizane Louw
"Portraits of Time" Fine Art Photography Collection. Kolmanskop, Namibia. A work from the collection created at Kolmanskop by photographer, Lizane Louw. An image of an abandoned building in the diamond mining village in the Namib.
The Last Stand: A photo documenting a deserted old German mining town’s slow
surrender to the Namib. Photo by Lizane Louw

Capturing Beauty in Decay:  The Power of Photography

My photo expedition to Kolmanskop was not just a physical journey but a profound personal exploration of the intersection of history, nature, and human imagination.

The evoking beauty of this abandoned mining village inspired me to create a series of fine art photographs that explore the themes of human fragility and transience. These images I created capture the essence of this abandoned diamond mining town and serve as a powerful reminder of our fleeting human existence.

I captured the play of light and shadow, highlighting the intricate textures and patterns in the decaying buildings reclaimed by the ever-shape-shifting desert dunes. The juxtaposition of the barren desert and the abandoned structures creates a striking visual impact. Strong contrasts in colour and texture invite us into this surreal, otherwordly visual experience.

These photographs are not just a reflection of life’s impermanence but also stand witness to the beauty that can be found in decay and abandonment.

As you look at the work I created, I would like to invite you to reflect on our human existence.

The colour, light, and shadow enabled me to create a series of fine art photographs that I hope will inspire your imagination, too. My aim in presenting the work and sharing this story is to show the ability of photography to capture the essence of the human experience. I hope to inspire you to see beauty in even the most unlikely places. Our visit deepened my appreciation for the power of photography and storytelling in shaping dreams and aspirations.

Photograph of journalist and photographer, Lizane Louw, at Kolmanskop, Namibia

Kolmanskop, a place that had intrigued me since childhood, had transformed from a distant dream into a tangible reality, leaving an indelible mark on my work as a photographer and journalist.

A place that once only lived in my childhood dreams and the deep corners of my imagination had not only met but exceeded my expectations. It became integral to my identity as a travel and culture journalist.

I am looking forward to my return.

As I reflect on my experience as a photographer at Kolmanskop, I’m reminded that imagination can pave the way for extraordinary adventures. Once these daydreams become reality, they can etch unforgettable chapters into the intricate and beautiful tapestry that is the story of our lived experience.

A Photographer’s Journey: From Nomad to Artpreneur

Posted on by Lizane Louw

A Photographer’s Journey

Every journey starts with a photograph

This is a story of my journey as a photographer and artist, a life story inspired by a camera I received when I was 14. Every story has a beginning; all my stories always start with a photograph.

I am an experimental and multifaceted artist who has dabbled in various art forms and mediums. My career has been focused on visual storytelling as a photographer, journalist, educator and designer since I started my first degree at Stellenbosh Univesity. My passion for storytelling saw me graduate with a master’s degree in journalism, a story for another day.

My passion for travel and exploration (and I guess also my curiosity) has taken me to over 60 countries. As a photographer and journalist, I covered various topics such as hard news, travel, culture, art and the environment. I have developed some serious skills on the road, and from years in the field as a photojournalist, I believe I have a unique ability to take viewers on journeys through my work in visual storytelling.

My journey with visual arts began when I received my first camera from my dad at 14. Since then, I have explored various cameras and niches in photography, starting a professional career in 2007 as a photojournalist for daily and weekly newspapers in South Africa.

A photographer’s journey

A photographer journey. A portrait of Lizane Louw. Portrait created in Studio Lizane Louw. A photo for the article: A Photographer’s Journey: From Nomad to Artpreneur | Lizane Louw.
Portrait of Lizane Louw. Photo Daniel Windel.

I grew up in a small town in the Cape Winelands in the Western Cape, South Africa, and I always dreamed of exploring the far corners of the world, places that only lived in my imagination. Photography and visual journalism opened the world, and my career took off when I worked as a freelance multimedia journalist and photographer in South Africa. Since I left South Africa in 2012 to study multimedia journalism in Asia, I have bounced between photography, journalism, writing, education, and design.

Most of my inspiration comes from a decade of living in Asia and exploring the countries in south-east Asia, the far east and central Asia. Eastern philosophy and living in the East profoundly impacted my work as an artist; I am still learning about this and appreciating all the epic challenges I faced. Finally, after 10 long years of adventure, I was forced by the pandemic to sit down, take stock and strategise the next steps of my career. The pause between the notes was good for me.

Over the past 26 years, my journeys took me to some of the most beautiful islands in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Caribbean and Europe. I had epic train adventures in India, Thailand, Cambodia, Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. In addition, I  sailed around North America and to some countries in South America. I had safaris in Africa and adventurous photo expeditions in Iceland and Greece. I have always been a bit of a nomad at heart. I travelled a lot and still do.

A photographers journey. Lizane Louw, in the field. A photo for the article: A Photographer’s Journey: From Nomad to Artpreneur | Lizane Louw.
Out on the road exploring Nambia. Photo Daniel Windel.

This nomadic lifestyle, armed with my camera and rolls of the film initially, fuelled my passion for photography. I am deeply fascinated with the human condition and our relationship with nature. I love exploring cultures and landscapes and photographing all my cultural experiences and all the interesting people that cross my path.

Ultimately, my background in photojournalism and years of experience in the field gave me a solid foundation in photography. I am still proud to say that I am a self-taught photographer. I dream about studying fine art photography. Setting up shop in Berlin has opened many doors; I might just take on studies in photography in the next couple of years.

The middle of the story

A photographer journey. A photo for the article: A Photographer’s Journey: From Nomad to Artpreneur | Lizane Louw. A photo of a selection of images that will be available in Lizane's online shop.
Studio Lizane Louw, Berlin. Looking at test prints and the quality of the paper of test prints. This was the first batch of images we printed for the new print shop. Photo Daniel Windel.

My images are not just photographs; they are stories of the people I met and my experience while on my journeys.

After many years of working on my skillset, selling photographs and accepting work requests and some commissions, I took a giant artistic leap by opening a studio shop – Studio Lizane Louw. This online art photography gallery and print shop will offer high-quality prints of my photographs from my photo expeditions. With the launch this spring, the first selection of images will feature nature and landscape photographs I created on photo expeditions in Iceland and Namibia.

Launching an online print shop has allowed me to create a platform to showcase my work and share my passion for photography, design, art, travel, and exploration with a broader audience.

Photography is more than taking pictures, photography for me personally goes hand in hand with storytelling.

In the end, it is stories that tie all our experiences together. Sharing stories and experiences give us the opportunity to make connections. The process of image-making allows us to express our stories creatively.

Studio Lizane Louw is not just an online print shop; it’s a visual reflection of who I am as an artist. It is a homage to all the places and experiences I keep deep in my heart. Sharing the work I have created as prints is a way of expressing myself creatively and professionally. I hope my photos will decorate walls, stir emotions, and inspire others to invest in their passions and dreams. I also hope everyone who sees my work will dust off their hiking boots, grab a camera and explore.

The new print shop is not just about selling prints. It’s also a means for me to continue pursuing my photography career as a professional artist and also to focus my career on creating more art photography.

A photographer’s journey as an artpreneur

A photographer's journey. A photo for the article: A Photographer’s Journey: From Nomad to Artpreneur | Lizane Louw. A photo of a selection of images that will be available in Lizane's online shop.
A test print of “Escape, 2019”, signed. Photo Lizane Louw

I am busy streamlining my business and career by collaborating with a new print partner to handle printing and shipping. This new venture gives me more time to focus on what I love most – travel, exploration, and adventure.

As an independent creative professional, I aim to run a successful online art photography gallery and print shop. I dream Studio Lizane Louw will become a success story inspiring other photographers and travel journalists.

Every day, I take little steps in following my passions and dream. Choosing this path will not be easy, but being persistent, adaptable, and open-minded about the process, will keep me motivated. I have never been someone to quit; this is just another creative challenge.

In addition to the online gallery and print shop, I offer workshops to share my writing, journalism, photography, design and printing knowledge. As a workshop facilitator and experienced writing teacher, I am always happy to share my skills and expertise; I hope to inspire and empower others to pursue their passions and dreams.

I am a driven artist and artpreneur whose passion for photography, design, culture and art has taken me to the world’s far corners. Through my work, I seek to connect with people, share my experiences, and inspire others.

Apricity. Image and Text

Posted on by Lizane Louw
apricity- Winter Rhythm. Photos of trees in Grunewald forest, Berlin. Vertical panning technique.
Winter Rythm II
apricity- Winter Rhythm. Photos of trees in Grunewald forest, Berlin. Vertical panning technique.
Winter Rythm VI
apricity- Winter Rhythm. Photos of trees in Grunewald forest, Berlin. Vertical panning technique.
Winter Rythm I


apricity

you are at the time of water,
you bite and sting me angrily


your presence foreshadows change and decay
you are the unwanted guest
tempting me outside


I fear your icy breath
as I step into the short day to meet you
you show me the bleak bleached sky
a pale grey opaque, reaching the far corners of my eye


you cast long shadows as we walk in search of frost flowers,
the passage of time, visible in every step
in your presence, the earth is moving slower,
so is birth, growth, life


you whisper and ask me to forget the sun,
show me lonely leafless trees
standing lifeless in the biting cold, isolated
yet,
something about you is pure, spotless, beautiful


an extended pause, a promise of new life
you are the time of water, winter,
my heart
is warming
up to you

apricity- Winter Rhythm. Photos of trees in Grunewald forest, Berlin. Vertical panning technique.
Winter Rythm V
apricity- Winter Rhythm. Photos of trees in Grunewald forest, Berlin. Vertical panning technique.
Winter Rythm VII
apricity- Winter Rhythm. Photos of trees in Grunewald forest, Berlin. Vertical panning technique.
Winter Rythm IV

NOTES:

Apricity: the warmth of the sun in winter

Photos created in the Grunewald forest, Berlin. It was magical; we explored and experienced the first snow of winter 2023. It was a frosty – 1°C. I used a vertical panning technique to create the images of the trees in the forest. No post processing.

Enjoyed the journey with words and exploring with me? Share, tweet, or email the story!

Cha Dao – The Teachings of Tea

Posted on by Lizane Louw

Cha- Dao- The Teachings of Tea is a new visual project I started working on in October this year.

I have learned much about tea and Cha Dao whilst living in Asia. Tea has been one of my best teachers.

Over the past two months, I have also been learning more about using text with images. I started working on this creative project inspired by some brainstorming sessions in workshops with other photographers and writers.

The idea is to develop this tea theme into an exhibition and a book. The project is growing slowly, and I will share more as I refine the idea and put this body of work together. I am also inspired to put my thoughts on paper and to offer word and image workshops in the new year. More about that soon.

( This is a temporary title- as my research into this idea and project continue and the project develops, the name might change- but for now, I’ll call it Cha Dao – The Teachings of Tea.)

 

A photograph of a tiny teapot. This image is part of a new project, the teachings of tea.

You teach me to pause and live each moment. You activate all my senses with each of our interactions. I seek to be in harmony with the rhythm of the universe. I often stumble and fall. I have much to learn as a student of the tea leaf.

How to become a travel journalist

Posted on by Lizane Louw

QUESTIONS FOR A TRAVEL JOURNALIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER

How do you become a travel journalist and photographer? This is one of the questions I often get asked when what I do for a living pops up in conversation. I decided to share this short article on “Questions for a Travel Journalist and Photographer” to answer some questions.

Life as a nomad, where do I start?

Photography and exploration, for me a calling; it is a lifestyle, is a way of living. I crossed the boundaries of this being a career a long time ago.

I had many solo travel experiences, train journeys through India, and motorbike adventures on the islands of Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia. Surf adventures in Bali and South Korea. Street photography adventures in Hong Kong, Taipei, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Busan, Paris and Berlin. Wine adventures in South Africa and Portugal. Highlights of my photographic trips were my Photography safaris in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

During Holi in Varanasi, India in 2016, I met my husband. Daniel is a keen photographer and is now also a registered drone pilot. Since we “teamed” up, we did photographic expeditions to Iceland and Greece and safaris in Africa. We have travelled extensively together.

My favourite experiences have been my tea adventures in Taiwan; so much life inspiration was found at the bottom of my teacup.

MY WORK AS A TRAVEL JOURNALIST AND TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER

There are many questions about a career in travel journalism and photography. Many people have crossed my path that is interested in a career in travel journalism and photography. I put together this list of questions that I get asked often. If you are reading this and have any other questions, get in contact.

My profiles on Muck Rack and Trav Media, conversations I had on photo journeys and expeditions, and emails received from professional photographers, aspiring journalists, and travel writers guided this Q and A.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB AS A JOURNALIST?

I entered the world of journalism as a photojournalist at Media 24, Die Burger in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2007.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO TRAVEL WRITING?

I have always kept journals and wrote about my travel adventures and experiences on social media. It was a natural progression from being a hard news photojournalist into the world of multimedia journalism. I did a master’s degree in journalism and got into feature writing when I wrote a series “The Tea Diaries” in Taiwan in 2018.

The transition from news to travel writing was a challenge. I still have a lot to learn about the travel industry. I received much support and guidance from some great travel writers and editors in 2020 and 2021. I am in the process of writing, editing and working on some exciting profiles and destination stories.

This career fits me, I have been a nomad for over 24 years, living and working internationally. To date, I visited over 60 countries.

WHAT IS YOUR  FAVOURITE DESTINATION?

That is always a tricky question to answer. This question usually pops up when people ask me about my adventurous spirit. My heart will always be drawn to Asia since I lived between the countries in South East Asia, the Far East and Central Asia for a decade. I love train journeys in India, tea adventures in Taiwan, motorbike and surf adventures in Bali, and safaris in Africa. I just love travelling.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVOURITE TRAVEL EXPERIENCES THAT YOU LIKE TO WRITE ABOUT?

Currently, my focus is on unique experiences and destinations off the regular tourist cycle. I am working on tea and textiles stories from India, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. I am also busy writing stories on culinary experiences in Iceland, Peru, France and Portugal. I am drawn to stories about sustainability and the environment, culture and art; I love to explore countries where I can learn about local communities and sustainable ways of living.

DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR SUBJECT YOU LIKE TO PHOTOGRAPH?

My background in news photography and photojournalism gave me exposure to a wide variety of subjects. I can document anything I want really; I think I am lucky that I have over 14 years of visual journalism experience.

My areas of speciality and expertise in photography are photojournalism, nature and wildlife photography, portraiture and travel photography.

My heart is in portraiture, though. As my career progresses and I get older, I might focus on portraiture more.

EXPLAIN THE TIMELINE OF YOUR CAREER.

I am a trained and experienced hard news and investigative journalist. I followed this career path until I finished a master’s degree in journalism at Ateneo de Manila University in Manila, Philippines. My written work in news and investigative journalism shifted after researching and writing about marine debris and pollution in Taiwan.

Once I landed in Europe in 2020, I started focusing more on travel journalism; living in Germany has opened many doors. Currently, my focus is on stories that educate and inspire. I hope my work can cultivate a better understanding of people and cultures, sustainability, and our relationship with the natural world and the environment. I now work as a travel journalist and photographer in Europe and Africa.

MORE ABOUT THE WORLD OF JOURNALISM AND MY THOUGHTS

HOW IS SOCIAL MEDIA CHANGING NEWS?

Now more than ever, it is important to educate yourself so that you can have informed opinions. News is available with the press of a button. Be an informed citizen of the world. Don’t believe everything you read.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A JOURNALIST?

Journalism, especially photojournalism, has taught me to look and then see. As journalists, we are storytellers on the front line of history. That comes with a huge responsibility. I am a journalist, first and foremost, to help people make sense of our world.

WHY DID YOU BECOME A JOURNALIST?

I am a storyteller and an artist, mainly in visual mediums. I like to communicate messages and stories. I have never wanted to be anything else.

WHAT STORY ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF WORKING ON?

“Dust of the Streets. Nobody’s baby, somebody’s child.” A story on adoption and abandonment in South Korea.

DID YOU WORK FOR YOUR HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER?

I wrote for “Die Sollie”, our school newspaper in high school. I wrote gossip news articles.

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE FICTIONAL JOURNALIST?

Lois Lane.

TOOLS I USE IN MY JOB

WHAT TOOLS/ PROGRAMS DO YOU USE IN YOUR JOB?

I use the Adobe Creative Suite daily and Microsoft Office. I experiment a lot with programs and apps.

WHAT GEAR DO YOU USE?

My interest is remote and unusual destinations. I keep my camera bag light. I have used Nikon gear my whole life and own several cameras. I have a collection of Nikon film cameras and my pro gear. What is essential for me is not to have the latest, best gear and the biggest and fastest lenses. It is important for me to know my gear well and be able to move fast; I guess that comes from my mindset and training as a photojournalist. You check out what gear I use here. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SOCIAL NETWORK?

Instagram, I have recently also re-discovered twitter.

WHO DO YOU WISH FOLLOWED YOU?

Photographer Annie Leibovitz and Journalist Christiane Amanpour.

SOME THINGS ONLY MY CLOSE FRIENDS KNOW

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE DRINKS?

Gin & Tonic, Green Tea Mojito and South African wine.

WHEN YOU ARE NOT AT YOUR COMPUTER OR WORKING ON STORIES, WHERE ARE YOU MOST LIKELY TO BE?

Apart from photography, I have many hobbies. You can find me in my studio painting or working in my urban herb and tea garden. I also like experimenting with Asian tea rituals at my tea table. You might also find me somewhere close to water camping and on my SUP.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PUBLICATIONS TO READ?

New York Times Travel,  National Geographic,  National Traveler UK and Condé Nast Traveler.

ADVICE FOR THE ASPIRING TRAVEL JOURNALIST 

WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU OFFER ASPIRING TRAVEL JOURNALISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS? 

I guess the most important piece of advice I would give is to be true to yourself, don’t copy others.

Find inspiration in the work of other photographers and writers, but work on your voice and creative identity. Forget what other creatives are doing and do you. You are your only competition, don’t compete with others.

It is vital to get out there, experience life and shoot as much as possible. Read as much as you can. Write as much as you can. Travel. Explore. Do things that surprise and shock you as often as possible.

In the field. Lizane Louw travel journalist and photographer.
In the field. Lizane Louw travel journalist and photographer.
Travel and Culture Journalism + Photography
Created with 💚 in Berlin by Lizane Louw

Fifteen (Easy) Ways to Live A Sustainable Lifestyle

Posted on by Lizane Louw
Marine debris scattered on a beach in Taiwan. Photo of a shoe and plastic littering a beach. Photo by Lizane Louw
San Po Beach, Northern Taiwan. A shoe, cigarette buts and a glass bottle are some of the thousands of pieces of marine debris that can be found on San Po Beach. TEIA, an Environmental NGO in Taiwan, does regular beach cleanups and beach actions to educate people on marine debris and environmental issues facing the ocean. Photo Lizane Louw

Live eco-conscious, think eco-friendly!

Living sustainably is not a trend; it is a lifestyle. A balanced lifestyle, putting nature first, is not something I have to consciously think about every day. I am grateful for my upbringing close to nature in South Africa. My style of living and life choices are inspired by my upbringing in the vineyards in Paarl. My education and experiences in the Western Cape set the framework for a lifetime of eco-conscious and sustainable living. I grew up respecting nature, nurturing the environment and enjoying the outdoors.

My journey with sustainability

I spent most of the past 25 years travelling and exploring the world. I learned a lot from other cultures and traditions. Living in Asia for a decade also shaped my mindset and made me more aware of our impact on the environment. I learned from observation, I learned about things in my everyday life I can change, and I earned to have a solution-based mindset. My adventures in Asia also inspired me to live a simple, balanced life in harmony with nature.

The most important thing I learned in a career in journalism is that I can make small changes with my camera. In 2016, after a story I did on marine debris in Taiwan, my whole focus in my career changed. I decided to start focusing more on environmental stories and solutions journalism. This shift in my work aligned with this fire in me to fight for the environment and the health of our planet.

How do you start to live sustainably? For me, my work towards the environment’s health starts at home, in my immediate environment and in how I live every day. It all starts with your lifestyle.

Living green and a sustainable lifestyle is one way to support the environment. I can write a book on my thoughts on sustainable living, and I probably will, but for now, I would like to share my fifteen (easy) ways to live a sustainable lifestyle. These actions are tried and tested by me and work. It is easy to implement and will put you on your way to being an environmental activist.

All of us can learn from each other and stand together to advocate and collectively work to protect the environment against climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, destruction and pollution.

OnlyOneEarth Practical Guide, published by UNEP. A graphic designed by UNEP. Green photo- green energy by wind turbines. Turbines on a hill.
#OnlyOneEarth Practical Guide, published by UNEP

#OnlyOneEarth Practical Guide

A Practical Guide to living sustainably in harmony with nature developed for World Environment Day 2022.

If you don’t know where to start and feel a bit lost in the sea of information on the internet, UNEP published a practical guide that you can use as a resource to learn what actions you can take to start living more sustainably and to learn to protect and restore our planet.

This guide inspired my listicle, and I am happy to share my ways of living sustainably with you!

Learn to make sustainable living the only option!

My fifteen ways to live a sustainable lifestyle

1. ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE

First and foremost, I will continue writing stories and doing photo projects on environmental emergencies, including climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Slow multimedia journalism and photography projects that advocate change are my focus, and I will continue to advocate against climate change and pollution.

You don’t have to be a journalist to write stories or take photographs…

Desert landscape from Nambia. Photo of trees at Deadvei. Trees in a desert.
Escape, 2019.
Land of Fire, Series I. 
Photo of glaciers. Glacier bay in Iceland. Foto created on boat excursion on Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland. Photo by Lizane Louw
Deep Blue, 2021.
Land of Ice and Fire, Series I.

2. SPREAD KNOWLEDGE

The way we live is focused on a love for nature and respect for the environment, and we will continue to spread our knowledge, research, experience and actions with friends, family and our wider community and networks via social media.

We all have access to social media and use the tools to advocate for the causes you support.

3. GET INVOLVED

I join and support local organizations in Berlin and the countries we travel to. I work with organizations that support sustainability and that focus on environmental projects. Solutions-based thinking by campaigning for systemic change is crucial for me.

There are so many actions organisations, governments and people can take, research a cause you want to get involved with, take the initiative and join the conversations, and be an environmental activist.

4. ETHICAL INVESTING

My husband and I will continue banking with a sustainable bank. GLS was the first sustainable bank in Germany, founded in 1974.

Research and choose financial institutions that are socially and environmentally responsible.

Photo GLS Bank Germany. Photo of climate action. Factories and energy pollution and renewable energy resources, solar power.
Photo GLS Bank Germany.

5. LIVING IN ENERGY-POSITIVE HOMES

Our living space is green. We live in an energy-positive apartment in Berlin with Photovoltaic systems on our roof that generate electricity from the sun’s rays.

You don’t have to fork out money and invest in solar panels; there are numerous other ways that you can make your living space green. Sustainable energy and clean energy are the future; with little research, you can start by making small changes.

Solar Power from roof panels in Berlin. Source: Der Taggesspielgel
Solar Power from roof panels in Berlin. Source: Der Taggesspielgel

6. CONSERVE ENERGY

Living energy conscious- are always thinking about saving energy, turning off lights and electrical appliances when not in use, and using only high-quality appliances with high energy-efficiency ratings in our space.

It is essential to research electrical appliances before you buy them. Make sure your investments are of good quality, and also, in the end, this does not only save you money but will also cut your energy consumption.

Our living space is green, and our fridge, dishwasher, washing machine, oven, induction stove and all the lights in the house run on clean energy.

7. EATING A BALANCED PLANT-BASED DIET

Following a plant-based diet is where sustainability starts for us, experimenting with local ingredients at home and in the places we visit and sharing recipes with friends and family.

Eating a plant-based diet is healthy and reduces reliance on foods that use more natural resources to produce.

Plantbased food- Curries, soups, and rice dishes. Indian Food, Icelandic food, Korean food and an Continental breakfast.

8. USING ALL OUR FOOD

Plant-based living makes us focus on buying green. We will continue buying only the food we need. Less for me is always more.

9. GROWING YOUR FOOD

Getting our hands dirty in our urban garden here in Berlin is fun and rewarding.

We have been growing our herb and tea garden here in Germany for two and a half years. We grow avo trees, lemon Bonzai, tomatoes, and sunflowers. We have a selection of herbs we grow to cook with too. We experiment a lot.

Invest in a herb or tea garden, get your hands dirty, and plant some seeds.

Herb garden of various herbs. Small pots indoor.
Herb garden of various herbs. Small pots indoor.
Herb garden of various herbs. Small pots/ containter indoor.
Herb garden of various herbs. Small pots indoor. Growing carrot plant.
Herb garden of various herbs. Small pots indoor. Letuce

10. CHOOSE NATURAL, CHOOSE NATURE

We buy products supporting ecosystems and local communities, such as wood, bamboo, metal, and clay. We use organic textiles and fibres and no plastic and one-time-use products.

When I travel, I like to attend textile workshops. I enjoy printing my textiles.

I look at clothing labels and choose quality over quantity. Check the clothing labels; fast and cheap textiles and fashion will cost you in the long run.

Textile designing in Malaysia.The process of Batik. Photo of paper with wax motif.
Textile designing in Malaysia.The process of Batik.
Textile designing in Malaysia.The process of Batik. Photo of utensils needed for Batik print.
Textile designing in India. The process of Block printing. Photo of final product designed and printed by Lizane Louw
Textile designing in India. The process of Block printing. Photo of final product designed and printed by Lizane Louw

11. SLOW FASHION

Sustainability continues into our cupboards to buy fewer and better clothes; we invest in high-quality textiles, primarily organic textiles, not fast fashion. We are big fans of Armed Angels and Vaude brands and prefer eco-friendly and eco-conscious brands to anything else. Living a sustainable lifestyle is not just a trend for us; it is a lifestyle.

12. DITCH DISPOSABLES

Our shopping habits are also green. We don’t use products that can’t be reused in our homes. We are always looking for sustainable options. We limit single-use plastic and avoid it where possible.

13. BEING ACTIVE

Walking and exploring, other than using a car is another way we live green.

Berlin is a photographer’s dream. So naturally, with my passion for street photography, we are out and about on weekends, exploring the streets, markets, museums, exhibitions and all the magic this vibey city has to offer. We travel by tram, train, or the underground metro system; this very convenient public transport system takes us where we need to go.

Street photography in Berlin. Photo of a car in a street. Black and white photo.
Street photography in Berlin. Photo of a tram in a street. Colourful yellow photo.
Street photography in Berlin. Photo of a people eating bratwurst in a street. Black and white photo.
Photo of a photo exhibition in Berlin. Black and white photo. Architecture and landscape images.
Street photography in Berlin. Photo of a boat on the river Spree. Colourful photo showing architecture in background.
Street photography in Berlin. Photo of people in a market. Black and white photo.
Street photography in Berlin. Photo of a clothing stand in a market. Colourful photo with old buildings in the background. m
Street photography in Berlin. Photo of people eating in a cafe. Black and white photo.
Street photography in Berlin. Photo of people a design on the inside of a cathedral. Architecture and design details.

14. DITCHING FLIGHTS

There are many holiday destinations close to us in Berlin and we explore by train, bus, and bike. We use slow travel, when possible, by train. We are especially keen to use the 9 Euro train ticket implemented by the German government this month.

The low-cost ticket lets you use public transport and regional trains nationwide in Germany this summer!

This initiative is part of a larger package offered by the German government to support residents, citizens, and visitors with the rising fuel prices resulting from the war in Ukraine.

Not only does the ticket help with financial relief by offering low-cost travel, but it is an attempt by the German government to reduce oil and gas consumption, and it will also promote climate-neutral travel with public transport.

15. GO CLEANER WITH TRANSPORT

Photo: we-share.io, 100% elektrical carsharing. Electic car driving in the street.
Photo: we-share.io, 100% elektrical carsharing
Photo: we-share.io, 100% elektrical carsharing. Someone charging and electric car.
Photo: we-share.io, 100% elektrical carsharing

Moving around, we use electric vehicles with car-sharing options. We do weekend breaks always close to home and around Brandenburg, visiting lakes, parks and thermal spas. We book our rental cars from we-share.io here in Berlin; they offer 100% electrical car sharing. We avoid air travel when possible. If we fly for a holiday, work or visit family, we try to make choices that support our efforts to live a sustainable life.

“We must shift from harming the planet to healing it. ” A practical guide to living sustainably in harmony with nature. UN Environment Programme #OnlyOneEarth

#WorldEnvironmentDay #OnlyOneEarth

What actions do you take to live a sustainable lifestyle? Freel free to add your thoughts in the comments below the listicle.

OnlyOneEarth Practical Guide, published by UNEP. A graphic designed by UNEP. Green photo- green energy by wind turbines. Turbines on a hill. Snow and winter image.

Like what you read? Share the good vibes!

Created with love in Berlin!

From Tealeaf to Teacup, more tea stories

Posted on by Lizane Louw

A Cup Full of Stories

By Lizane  Louw

Tea stories. Finger Tea Story House Tea Plantation. Mingjing Township, Nantou. A woman is handpicking Oolong Tea on the plantation, 480 m above sea level in Mingjing, the tea village. Photo Lizane Louw
Finger Tea Story House Tea Plantation. Mingjing Township, Nantou. A woman is handpicking Oolong Tea on the plantation, 480 m above sea level in Mingjing, the tea village.
Photo Lizane Louw

I crossed Taiwan in search of tea stories. On one of my journeys, we took a road trip into the mountains of Nantou to explore a unique tea village where the smell of freshly baked Oolong Tea hangs thick in the air. We stomped barefoot in fresh mud and got lost in tiny teapots with tea masters. That night when we went to bed in the round red capsule house on the tea plantation, the moon turned into a teacup.

Impossible? But this is a true (tea)story.

Why I travel

This tea story starts with a question I often get asked, “Why do you travel?”

So, with this story, I will explain why I travel and have been travelling for over 25 years. The short answer is that I travel to find myself. Not finding my identity, not finding out who I am, but finding myself in interesting situations. I travel to find…

I travel to find out what I like and what I don’t like. I travel to eat, taste, smell, drink tea (and coffee and wine), and travel to see and photograph. I travel to learn.

Getting older and wiser, with a lot of air miles and sea miles behind my back, I can look back and reflect on what journeys were most memorable and what experiences I gravitate too. One thin line that is woven through all my experiences in life, is my love for tea.

I am learning to look and see with my journeys with tea. With tea, time stops; I am a student of the tea leaf. I am learning Cha Dao.

My leaf adventures took me to The Finger Tea Story House in Taiwan. This story house is located on Song Bo Ling, Ming Jian Shang in Nantou County. The journey to the story house takes you on a 45 min high-speed train ride from Taoyuan to Taichung.

You must patiently travel another hour or so on a scenic route into the mountains of Nantou. This road trip into the mountains took me past yam, pineapple and dragon fruit plantations. They also grow ginger in the region. In addition, this part of the island produces some of the best Oolong Tea in the world.

Train map. Train from Taipei to Doulio

Finger Tea Story House Tea Plantation is in Mingjing Township, Nantou, central Taiwan. The HRS, High-Speed Rail, jets down to Taichung from Taoyuan in 45 min. You can travel to Mingjing with the Scenic JiJi train or drive from Changhua. Source: Rome to Rio.

Tea stories. Finger Tea Story House Tea Plantation. Mingjing Township, Nantou. A woman is handpicking Oolong Tea on the plantation, 480 m above sea level in Mingjing, the tea village. Photo Lizane Louw
Finger Tea Story House Tea Plantation. Mingjing Township, Nantou. A woman is handpicking Oolong Tea on the plantation. Handpicked tea is much more expensive than machine-harvested tea. Photo Lizane Louw

“Two Fingers” and tea stories

Mingjing is where the history of tea starts in Taiwan; these plantations are the origin of Taiwan’s tea.

The Finger Tea Story House is 480 m above sea level. Mingjang has over 2000 hectares of tea plantations, and it is also the area with the most significant output of tea production in central Taiwan. The region produces four types of tea. Four Season Tea, Golden Daylily Tea, Green Jade Tea and Oolong Tea. For the Oolong tea, I travelled 200 km to the heart of the tea valley.

In the Finger Tea Story  House, I discovered another legend of tea. “Shen Nong Shi (The Emperor of Five Grains) sampled one hundred kinds of grass and was poisoned by 72 of them daily. He had a pair of ox-like horns and a transparent, crystal clear, ox-like belly. One day whilst sampling one hundred kinds of grass, some poisonous grass poisoned him. His crystal belly turned black, and he became ill. He randomly picked a leaf from a surrounding plant and ate it. The tealeaf was moving up and down in his turbid, black belly, and his belly turned transparent, crystal clear. Shen Nong was curious about this leaf that did the magic to his belly. He discovered that it was the “tea leaf”.

Since that discovery, it was believed that the tealeaf had a detoxification effect; this belief passed from generation to generation.

A long history with tea

Yang Kuo-Chen started the Finger Tea Story House in 2013. But the tea tradition of this family runs over a hundred years. “The history of the family is about four generations. The second generation had their teashop under the Japanese occupation, “explains Yating Yang as she walked us through the Tea Museum.

“When he was eight years old, the owner, Yang Kuo-Chen, was making tea with his granddad, and by accident, he lost two fingers; two fingers got cut off by a rolling machine. So our story house here we named “Two-finger Tea” because the story lost his two fingers.”

Yang lost half his ring finger and middle finger in that accident. However, his accident did not keep him from loving tea; it inspired more challenging work and an expansion of their brands into “The Finger Tea Story House”.

“There is a statue of his hand; you will have good luck if you rub it or touch it. “

Zhù hǎo yùn” explained Yating, our story guide. She is very professional and carefully chooses her English words. Now and then, she uses Google translate to help with her English. I stopped, rubbed the statue with two missing fingers, and wished to have more luck.

The story house started as a tiny business. Today is 100 years old. First, Chang Sung Tea expanded into other labels and the bubble tea business. Then, two very famous Taiwanese brands, Tea Top and Tea Struck. Tea Top is a household bubble tea brand, not only in Taiwan, where they have 120 shops but also in the US, where they have ten shops.

As we walked through the museum, I got lessons on tea plants and tea leaves and various teas. Finally, we stopped at Pu’er Tea. Pu’er tea is a fermented black tea from a village named Pu’er in China. I am the proud owner of a brick of aged 13-year-old Pu’er from Yunnan, China. The young tea master was very impressed with my knowledge.

This story house and farm have old tea distinguished from Pu’er Tea and 40-year-old tea for sale. These teas are costly collectors’ items.

The Finger Tea Story House brands have won many competitions. Nantou has the best tea in Taiwan, and the brand wins 20 categories in the biggest tea competitions in Nantou every year. Their winter and spring tea won first place in tea competitions 25 times. They are seen as tea champions. All the teas planted and harvested by Finger Tea are organic.

Tea stories. Finger Tea Story House Tea Plantation. Mingjing Township, Nantou. A woman is handpicking Oolong Tea on the plantation, 480 m above sea level in Mingjing, the tea village. Photo Lizane Louw
Finger Tea Story House Tea Plantation. Mingjing Township, Nantou. A woman is handpicking Oolong Tea on the plantation. Photo Lizane Louw

The healing leaf and more tea stories

“Tea is good for your health and good for your teeth. Tea has fluoride, which is why it is good for your teeth. The tea plants absorb the fluoride from the soil, so tea has a high percentage of fluoride. But it can make your teeth yellow,” Yating explains.

“Grandpa used to say that you don’t have to brush your teeth; you can just drink tea. You can just swizzle the tea in your mouth. Then, you rinse your mouth with tea brewing water.

Tea also contains anti-oxidant actives such as polyphenols and catechin, which inhibit the growth of bacteria and viruses. Therefore, it can prevent you from being unwell,” with those words, I realized that I was speaking to a family member; she smiled as I asked if Mr Yang Kuo-Chen was her grandfather. With that smile, she became more relaxed in her family history presentation.

My thoughts on tea continued as we walked; I thought of the health benefits and what I had read. Nutrients in tea transform into a large quantity of Gallic Acid that can stimulate dopamine secretion. Dopamine can stabilize emotion.

Tea stories. Mingjing Township, Nantou. Oolong Tea plantation, 480 m above sea level in Mingjing. Foto of Oolong tea plants.
Oolong Tea Plantation. Mingjing Township, Nantou. Photo Lizane Louw


Yating’s grandfather performed fortune-telling with tea. He believed that a magnetic field in every man. When that magnetic field turns weak, drinking tea can supplement and turn it back to its fullness. According to the stories retold to children in this family, you can also change your fortune from bad to good.

You have to drink tea according to your age. An extensive chart on the wall shows what tea you drink at what age. For example, I am 40, so I need to drink High Mountain Oolong tea. “When you are in your 20’s and 30’s, you can’t drink high mountain oolong tea. You must wait till you are older, and then when you are in your 40’s, and you drink High Mountain Oolong tea, and then you come back to lower-level teas, it does not taste good,” says Yating, who I now have figured out is the owner’s daughter. She shares tea stories as we walk through the museum.

Tea Chai Cha

I have travelled the world for tea. I had Masala Chai in India; it is a black tea with milk, sugar and spices. I had Darjeeling tea in India, this tea is grown in West Bengal, and you also drink it without milk.

 I learned to drink Chamomile tea in early evening teas in Paris, France, Chamomile, and herbal tea infusion. (Even though I am unsure if Chamomile originally comes from France). I had 50-year-old Pu’er Chinese tea in my favourite teashop in Yinge and had 40-year-old tea in a tiny village called Mingjing, the tea heaven of Taiwan.

I have always wondered why they would call tea by different names, then finally, with reading up, a whole world opened. If you get your tea by sea, it is called  “tea”; if you get it from the land, it is called “cha”. 

So I finally figured out that my favourite teas, Masala Chai and High Mountain Oolong Cha, are both from the land, which means that these teas are grown locally and distributed by land, and I was lucky to drink some of the best-handpicked teas in the world. So, the langue then indicates where we get our tea. If you get your tea by see it is tea, thee, te or tee. If you get it by land, it is chai, chay or cha.

Tea stories. Infographic-Tea by sea and tea by land. Source: Quarts.
Tea by sea and tea by land. Source: Quarts.

Old leaves and a young leave

Most regular Oolong tea is harvested by machine, but High Mountain Oolong Tea is harvested by hand. When tea is harvested by hand, it is more expensive.

“When you harvest tea, you have to harvest them young. The very first leaves have to be harvested. The smell is so natural earthy; it is delicious, still pure, and has not been exposed to the elements and gives the best quality teas,” explained Yating.

The Story House’s “Tea Theory to Relativity” is explained via comics on the Story House Tea Museum walls. Each picture is drawn in a comic cartoon style. It is translated into English on a pamphlet I got given.

“The most interesting is distinguishing between an old leaf and a young leaf. The old leaf is likened to an old man taking a piss, but the pee dripping downwards to his shoes. A new leaf is likened to a young kid taking a pee and projecting across a stream. In Taiwanese, this means a new leaf has more strengths and is better.” I laugh out loud. Sometimes the forwardness of this culture surprises me.

The tea-making process

We continue to the tea-making process. “Oolong tea making requires several steps. First, you pluck, then outdoors; the outdoor withering takes place, then indoor withering, stir dry the tea leaves, roll the tealeaves, grade the tea leaves, and then grade sample the tea leaves. This process was manually conducted; nowadays, the tea process is mechanized; the output is more tea and the process much faster,” Yating continued.

“Green tee, oolong tea and black tea come from the same plant. From the same plant, you can make all three kinds of tea. It is the same plant, Camellia Sinensis,” she explained.

The distinction between these different teas is not from other plants but how the leaves are treated after being harvested. “It also depends on the fermentation process.”

I was shocked to learn that all teas come from the same plant. My story went full circle back to my teacup.

Tea stories. Loose leaf tea in the sorting space after harvest. Photo of Oolong tea in bags.
Mingjing Township, Nantou. Handpicked Oolong tea is placed on tarps. After tea leaves are plucked, they start to wilt; naturally, steady withering takes place when these oolong teas are placed on tarps with black nets controlling the sun they get. Photo Lizane Louw

A teacup full of tea stories

The story goes that the great-grandpa told his 8-year-old son about the finger-cutting machine that rolled off his fingers. “How lucky you are, my dear grandson, that you were not using your genitals to weigh the iron chains”. We laughed and had another GongFu ceremony.

 So many stories. This is an actual story house.

I have tasted a variety of teas in the village, sat down with two teamsters and learned about tea.

A student of the tea leaf

Visiting the storied house was a mind-altering experience. I am learning more about this leaf. I learned so much about tea, tea production, and stories about tea and the MingJing plantations. Again, I found a world of tea stories at the bottom of my teacup.

As we sat around the fire in the tea plantation in front of our round tubular room, I smelled the fresh Oolong Tea plantations. The smells were thick in the air, pineapple, peach and guava. I looked up at the sky and what I saw made me smile. The bright white moon turned into a teacup.

I am a student of the tealeaf. My journey is to learn the Cha Dao.

The moon as a teacup in the sky. Night sky and bright moon. A true tea story.
Infographic. From tea leaf to teacup. Source: LiveInTheNow.com
     From tea leaf to teacup. Source: LiveInTheNow.com

                      

Enjoyed the journey with words and exploring with me? Share, tweet, or email the story!

Bubble Tea and The In/ Famous Plastic Fat Straw

Straw alternatives, metal straws
Posted on by Lizane Louw

Alternatives to plastic straws used in the famous bubble tea in Taiwan. Photo of metal straws.
08/12/2018. Taipei, Taiwan. Quan Chang Co. in Taipei manufactures eco-friendly stainless steel straws. These straws are natural alternatives to the multicoloured plastic fat straws traditionally used to drink the trendy bubble tea drink in Taiwan.

Bboba nai cha (Bubble Tea)

No tea story will be complete without writing about bubble tea.

Originally, bubble tea was an iced tea drink that contained a particular ingredient, tapioca pearls, at the bottom of the drink. Today, this bubble tea drink is not always served as iced tea; it can have fruity notes and real fruit as ingredients. This tea or fruit infusion tea today has many varieties and flavours. This trendy tea drink, wildly popular in Taiwan and, in fact, all over Asia, was traditionally made with tapioca pearls and iced tea, hence the name bubble tea. Bubble tea goes by many names, the most popular, Bboba tea, pearl tea or boba nai cha.

The name bubble tea comes from the tapioca bubbles or pearls at the bottom of the drink and the way this delicious milk tea beverage is prepared. The vigorous shaking of the milk in the preparation process also leaves bubbles and foam at the top of the tea drink. Hence the name, bubble tea.

The origin of bubble tea

There are many disputed origins of this trendy Taiwanese beverage. The most famous story is that Bboba nai cha originated in Taichung. However, the story goes that Liu Han Chie of the renowned Chun Shui Tang Teahouse claims that he invented this drink in the 80s.  Whilst travelling in Japan, Chie was inspired by Japanese iced beverages. So, when he arrived back home, he experimented with cold milk tea by adding various fruit, sweeteners and tapioca pearls.

The rest, they say, is history. This trendy ice drink’s popularity spread worldwide, and you can find this delicious, refreshing ice tea or iced fruit drink with tapioca pearls in coffee shops and juice bars in most countries.

Apart from this tea drink traditionally served in a transparent plastic “glass” so that the consumer can see the tapioca pearls, it is served with a noticeably thicker and fatter, more colourful straw. This is so that you can slurp up the tapioca pearls and chew these as your drink your sweet iced tea. These pearls are chewy and soft jelly balls. They glide up the straw as you drink your tea.

These fat straws are also causing a big stir in Taiwan; this is reported in the media; the whole bubble tea tradition is being challenged by the Taiwan Government’s crackdown on plastic.

The best bubble tea in Taiwan


I searched for the best bubble tea in Taiwan and landed at Chun Shui Tang, the teashop famous for inventing bubble tea. I visited their most highly recommended teashop in Xinyi District, Taipei City. This famous shopping district is also home to Taipei 101. A landmark building with 101 floors that was once the world’s tallest skyscraper.

When I visited the shop in Taipei, I had to wait for about 25 minutes to have a seat. When I looked at the English Chinese Menu patrons get, the first line and item on the menu read, “The Creator of Pearl Milk Tea”. There was a tiny bubble tea symbol, two different sizes and “iced” or “hot drink” next to this menu item. Even though I wasn’t in the original shop in Taichung, a city more south, I realized that I was about to taste one of the most famous tea drinks on our tiny blue planet, made the way it was traditionally made in the 80s.

The menu looked appetizing, too; apart from the variety of tea drinks, like Sesame Milk Tea, Jasmine Milk Tea, and Pearl Jasmine Tea, something else caught this wannabe tea connoisseur’s eyes. Oolong Beancurd with Bonito Flakes. In short, Tofu and tea. My two favourite tastes combined. Heaven.

The famous bubble tea of Taiwan. A glass of bubble tea.
08/12/2018. The world-famous “The Creator of the Pearl Milk Tea” as this tea is named on the menu of Chun Shui Tang. Pearl Milk Tea and a very fat straw. Photo Lizane Louw

The fat straw used with bubble tea

I had many varieties of bubble tea during my four years living in Taiwan. Back in 2002, when I visited for the first time, and now, I also enjoyed the more modern, trendy versions of this milky tea beverage. On visits to the street stalls and night markets, I noticed how much plastic gets used for packaging food.

When I go to a regular bubble tea shop, I will get the tea in a plastic “glass”, usually thin and see-through, and there would be a plastic top lid with the now infamous but much-beloved fat straw.

Aware of the waste I produce everyday after a documentary I shot on plastic pollution with TEIA (Taiwan Environmental Information Association). I am, as a result, consciously reducing my plastic consumption, limiting the harm I cause to the environment.

Environmental campaigns

The government of Taiwan also acknowledged the calls from so many environmental campaigns regarding plastic pollution and marine debris. Consequently, the government is taking a very firm stance on plastic.

EPA’s restrictions on plastic straws were introduced in June last year. A notice was posted on the EPA’s website, an excerpt from the Environmental Policy Monthly, dated June 2016.

According to the notice, the EPA has drafted restrictions on single-use plastic straws due to the growing urgency to address marine plastic pollution. The draft stipulates that the following four businesses will be prohibited from providing single-use straws for customers dining in-store: public sector entities, public and private schools, department stores, and shopping malls. This ban will affect 8,000 businesses.

Taiwan’s beloved sweet milky tapioca pearl drinks will be affected by this ban. Since this notice, the internet has ignited protests, and the debate continues. The main question is, “how will we drink bubble tea without a straw?”

Since the announcement of the EPA’s preannounced restriction on plastic straws, the milk tea industry and all lovers of the famous Bboba nai cha, or bubble tea, are discussing it. The conversation on the ban reached all street corners of Taiwan and all the tiny street alleys of all villages and cities.

A bubble tea frenzy

In the press over the past couple of months, various stories have been reported on this bubble tea frenzy online.  According to many reports, the Taiwanese can’t imagine not having their favourite drink without a straw.

Plastic straws are single-use plastic items that are not recycled. As a result, these plastic utensils are one of the most harmful trash pieces in our oceans.

“After plastic straws are used, they are discarded in the environment where they break down into small plastic pieces or are ingested by animals. According to the EPA website, the ingested plastic can absorb toxins in the environment and then accumulate and be consumed by animals higher up in the food chain.”

“However, the EPA urges businesses to take early action by not providing plastic straws unless customers request them. The public is also encouraged to prepare their reusable straws to reduce plastic pollution and waste of resources.”

Marine waste cleanup statistics

Taiwan Environmental Information Organization (TEIA) released its 2017 Marine Waste Clean-up (International Coastal Cleanup) statistics earlier. The data presented reflected those straws were among the top three marine debris found by various marine waste monitoring organisations. The total number of straws found in monitored areas where 23,113. Monitoring operations are done in small square blocks on beaches and do not span the entire monitored coast. This proves again that there is a growing problem with plastic, specifically straws ending up as marine debris on the beaches of Taiwan.

Marine waste monitoring operations collected data from September 2017 - to October 2017. Source: TEIA.
Marine waste monitoring operations collected data from September 2017 – to October 2017. Source: TEIA.

According to the data collected in the 2017 Marine Waste Clean-up, the Top 5 marine debris:

  1. Plastic bottles – 49,305 pieces
  2. Plastic caps – 32,347 pieces
  3. Straws – 23,113 pieces
  4. Glass bottles – 17,321 pieces
  5. Plastic bags – 16,436 pieces

Alternatives to plastic straws used in bubble tea

Quan Chang Co. in Taipei is an environmentally conscious company that has offered an alternative to plastic straws. Instead, the company manufactures eco-friendly stainless steel straws.

Alternatives to plastic straws used in the famous bubble tea in Taiwan. Photo of metal straws.
08/12/2018. Taipei, Taiwan. On display at the Quan Chang shop, there are a variety of eco-friendly stainless steel straws. Apart from the stainless steel straws, glass straws are also on display. Photo Lizane Louw

I visited the shop in Taipei to learn more about these eco-products and buy some of their products that came highly recommended as alternatives to the straws that would be banned in June/ July 2019.

“I made a bunch of straws. They are going back to America, “says Ocean Chang, owner of Quan Chang.

As it is known, QC is a Taiwanese brand that cares for the environment and our health, and a handout of the products is proclaimed. “In fact, for the health of the people, for the health of the environment,” answers Chang to the question of the company’s vision.

On this handout, neatly illustrated and explained are examples of 19 straws. Then, in extensive, bold letters, “ARE YOU STILL USING TOXIC STRAWS?”

“It is a straightforward idea. It is to be good to oneself, be good to others and the environment, and do a kind thing simultaneously,” he said.

A green shop in Taipei

The whole shop is “green”. I scan the shop again as we speak. I look at the tiny GongFu tea set neatly arranged in the middle of the heavy wooden table. I am seated on a big wooden stump, balancing myself in the middle of the rings of the chopped tree. Everything smells like earth. There is soft Buddhist chanting playing in the background. We drink honey water from see-through recycled glasses with yellow rims, and I had my first experience with a glass straw. We eat fruit out of wooden bowls with stainless steel utensils, and we drink more tea as we exchange ideas, him not speaking any English and me with my 200 words Chinese vocabulary. We communicate with the assistance of a translation device.

“Some people will change and buy these alternatives, but the others will probably still use the public straw, says Ocean’s wife, Nancy Chen.

“People are upset because they don’t want to make this change; it is seen as an “inconvenience.”

“It is difficult to change people’s habits,” Ocean adds, “But this is a product of environmental protection that can change people’s habits. Then we need more people to be green to spread the word and educate people,” he said with passion.

Ocean is sitting across from me, speaking Chinese into this small translation device. I have never seen anything like this, and I am rather impressed at how we manage to communicate, me speaking into this tiny little machine in English and my words immediately translated into Chinese. Ocean listens with attention to my questions and answers again in Chinese.

“Plastic straws are toxic. So people need to buy alternative options like stainless steel. Habits that are focused on environmental protection are needed.”

Green straws

“But how do you get people to choose green straws,” he asked. “We must continue to create these kinds of green products, products that are good for the environment.”

Three people enter through the door. Our conversation is cut short. They are welcomed like family.

The lady close to me starts a conversation in perfect English.

“We came here, especially for the straws. I work in the environmental administration department with this idea or policy to ban plastic straws. It is challenging, as the Taiwanese love bubble tea. The problem is that the policy did not introduce a replacement for the straws. Instead, one official saying we can eat with spoons, “said Jeanne Wei, Environmental Protection Administration System Analyst, Department of Environmental Monitoring and Information Management.

Department of Waste Management specialist Lee Yi-Hua said, “people could use a spoon instead of a straw” these words have caused a massive outlash by netizens and the public alike. This is also now the topic in the shop.

Wei was visiting QC with family members, and all of them were making investments for the environment. Her brother Charlie bought a couple of straws to take back to the US.

“In Taiwan, drinking bubble tea is a cultural tradition. So people are not happy about the straws ban,” affirmed Wei.

From the ongoing debates, it is clear that public opinion is against the ban on straws.

There is a lot of waste on the beaches, and as the data of environmental efforts have shown, many straws are found as marine debris. So the problem is shown in the data, the beaches, and the trash bags collected.

“The proposal was disapproved by many people”, according to Wei, “it is a difficult situation to implement this ban.”

Recycling in Taiwan

Taiwan is currently nr 3 in the world in recycling; a country is a well-oiled machine for reducing, reusing and recycling. “The global ban for using plastic bags, Taiwan was very early to implement that. We did pretty well. When I went to New York, I realized that our plastic bags are thicker than those used in the west. I know that people in the west use a lot of plastic bags, with no restraints, but in Taiwan, we have to pay to use them; this helps people be more conscious about using plastic bags; I think this is a good thing “Wei said.

On banning plastic straws, she said it depends on education too. “If we can teach children, it can help.  We have to start from the young; this year, I also heard stories about how young people influenced their parents to vote in the referendums.” According to Wei, banning straws is a new idea. “We need to educate children on the uses of plastic and other options to take care of the environment. This is a very new thing; people need to be educated.”

Jeanne and her family left after discussing plastic pollution, environmental protection and tea. Ocean cut more fruit, and we drink more tea.

Investing in eco products

“Every country has environmental groups. We must be united to be strong. This “green” straw is very durable and of good quality. You will save a lot on buying and paying for plastic straws. In the end, this will also help the environment. This is much better for your health too.

But the quality has to be good for it to have this value. So if the quality is not good, then it is not a good product and utensil, “he continues.

According to Chang, many people out there are willing to invest in good quality utensils that are eco products; these straws are good quality and good for the environment.

“Environmental education and education about these Eco eating utensils are critical if we want to protect our environment for the next generation,” says Chang. He looks over at his daughter sitting in his wife’s lap.

I noticed a tear running down his cheek, and he sniffed and wiped his nose. At that moment, I realize that I am speaking to a very passionate man about his work with the environment and that he is speaking into this small translating device with his whole heart.

I saw his heart, and I felt his concern in his expression and words.

“Plastic cause a lot of environmental problems”, he said with a heavy heart.

Alternatives to plastic straws and utensils that can be used in the famous bubble tea in Taiwan. Photo of metal straws and wooden spoons.
08/12/2018. Taoyuan. I invested in a whole set of environmentally friendly eco products, wooden chopsticks, spoons, and two groups of stainless steel straws. One special straw from their collections was a gift. This small gift, Ocean said, was a thank you for what I also contributed to protecting our environment. Photo Lizane Louw
 
 

Enjoyed the journey with words and exploring with me? Share, tweet, or email the story!

>
error: