Dyeing Workshop with Sylvia Houghteling

As part of this year’s annual Tomas Harris lecture series, staff and students across the UCL History of Art department and the UCL Object Based Learning Laboratory joined this year’s honouree, Dr. Sylvia Houghteling (Bryn Mawr College), in a hands-on dyeing workshop.

As part of this year’s annual Tomas Harris lecture series held from 6-8 May 2025, staff and students across the UCL History of Art department and the UCL Object Based Learning Laboratory joined this year’s honouree, Dr. Sylvia Houghteling (Bryn Mawr College), in a hands-on workshop, designed to explore the material and chemical properties of three ‘fleeting’ dyes central to Dr. Houghteling’s current research on early modern textiles, dyes, and their temporalities in South and Southeast Asia. In addition to providing a unique window into Dr. Houghteling’s research, the workshop opened an alternate space for colleagues at UCL working across different geographies, temporalities, and media to reflect collectively on the importance and challenges of thinking with and through artistic materials, labour, and process.

Image: Workshop participants at the safflower dye station rinsing the safflower of the yellow layer of colour.
 

The workshop was organised around a series of three experiments with dyes made from safflower, hibiscus and turmeric. The first introduced participants to the unique characteristics of safflower, which has the capacity to produce two different dye colours. To achieve the beautiful pinkish tones safflower is perhaps most renowned for, workshop participants learned the material must first be thoroughly rinsed of an initial layer of yellow colour, before being used to prepare a dye bath. Participants also experimented with changing the PH levels of the safflower mixture to vibrant colour effects.

Image: Dr. Houghteling instructing workshop participants on how to fold their bandana cloths.

The second experiment explored the properties of hibiscus and turmeric dyes. Dr. Houghteling instructed participants in a few different folding techniques often used by dyers in South Asia to achieve intricate wave-like and dotted patterns, before allowing participants to experiment with creating their own folded compositions. Participants then used the hibiscus and turmeric dyes to colour their folded bandana cloths in different patterns. Participants were also given the option of adding baking soda water to their patterns at this station, which when mixed with certain materials unfolded wonderful and unexpected colour effects.

Image: Workshop participants tie-dyeing their bandana cloths with hibiscus and turmeric dyes to wonderful results.
 

The third station was organised around a historic dye recipe drawn from Dr. Houghteling’s archival research in the British Library. Working from a translation of this recipe, participants of the workshop attempted to recreate or ‘rework’ a historic turmeric dye. This challenging process tasked participants with deciding on everything from: necessary materials; quantities of materials; the order in which materials would be mixed into the dye; the temperature and acidity level of materials; all of which had incredible effects on the final dye product.

Image: Workshop participants reworking a historic turmeric dye recipe.

Image: Workshop participants laid out their dyed cloths to dry.
 

The final results of the workshop adorned the stage of Dr. Houghteling’s final lecture on 8 May 2025, in a beautiful display reflective of the stimulating impact of the week’s lectures, collaborations, and conversations.

Image: Dr. Houghteling’s giving her second Tomás Harris lecture, ‘To Wash, to Darn, to Wear: Cycles of Reuse, Conservation and Care,’ amid the workshop’s beautiful results.

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