University & Design School Groups
Block printing, print thinking, and contemporary craft practice.
Private atelier sessions for universities, design schools, and creative education groups visiting Berlin.
A research-led introduction to print thinking, material exploration, and contemporary textile practice.
2–3 hour guided atelier sessions
Atelier Māya Berlin
Groups of 6–16 participants
Custom educational formats available
The Māya Atelier Experience
Atelier Māya is a contemporary textile research studio and print lab in Berlin focused on block printing, responsible colour systems, surface design, and material exploration.
Our sessions introduce students to block printing not as a craft process, but as a design discipline built on our explorations of colour, material intelligence, repetition, deconstruction, and visual culture.
The atelier’s practice is informed by ongoing field research into textile culture, printmaking traditions, and material processes across India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Ghana, translated into studio-based experimentation in Berlin.
Students work directly with hand-carved woodblocks, eco-friendly inks mixed in-house, and a range of textile surfaces in a calm and focused atelier environment.
Print Thinking & Material Intelligence
Atelier Māya approaches block printing as a way of thinking through print, material, surface, repetition, and form.
Sessions introduce students to concepts such as print thinking, material intelligence, and deconstruction through hands-on exploration with forms, pattern, layering, colour, and textile surfaces.
Participants work with a limited vocabulary of forms, exploring how a single block can be rotated, layered, interrupted, repeated, and deconstructed into entirely new visual languages.
Rather than focusing only on finished outcomes, the atelier emphasises process-led experimentation, tactile learning, observation, and the development of visual language through material practice.
Students are encouraged to slow down, observe material behaviour, and develop visual language through repetition, restraint, and experimentation.
“Deconstructing a single stamp to get many stamps is fun, and using a single stamp helps me get more creative.”—Payton
“I felt free to explore without consequence. I was surprised by how quickly the designs were built.”—Knox
Through block printing, material exploration, and print thinking, we share the stories of craft while inspiring the next generation of designers and creative practitioners
Participants explore
– Pattern, rhythm, and repeat systems
– Surface and textile exploration
– Material behaviour and restraint
– Layering and colour exploration
– Contemporary approaches to heritage craft
– Process-led experimentation
The atelier works with
– Universities
– Design schools
– Textile and fashion programmes
– Architecture and interior design students
– Fine art and printmaking departments
– Study-abroad programmes
– Creative education organisations
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Highlights: Print Thinking with designers from Western Carolina University, US.
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“I felt free to explore with patterns, colours and composition, I was surprised how easily I got into a flow state.”— Sarah
“This experience made me experiment and discover new shapes & patterns I could make. I’m starting to learn that less is more.”— Elena
“I wanted my students to experience a working Berlin artist, and I just like having fun making cool stuff.”— Jillian
Session Formats
Sessions can be adapted to the group’s focus, schedule, and educational interests.
Available formats include:
– 2–3 hour introduction sessions
– Half-day atelier experiences
– Full-day textile and print intensives
– Custom multi-day educational programmes
Each participant works hands-on throughout the session printing and exploring with Atelier Māya’s collection of hand-carved printing blocks and textile printing tools.
“I discovered how much joy a life dedicated to art can spread and how mastery of simplicity can be the most powerful.”
— Thomas
Why Educational Groups Choose Māya
Atelier Māya offers students access to a working contemporary textile atelier rather than a standard workshop environment.
The sessions combine hands-on making with material research, design thinking, and cultural context, creating a focused educational experience that connects heritage craft with contemporary creative practice.
The atelier’s calm and process-led environment encourages curiosity, experimentation, tactile learning, and creative exploration through print thinking.
Get in touch
We welcome enquiries from universities, design schools, creative programmes, cultural institutions, and educational groups interested in exploring print thinking, material exploration, and contemporary craft practice at Atelier Māya.
Each atelier session is developed in conversation with the visiting group and can be adapted around material exploration, surface design, print culture, sustainability, process-led experimentation, and contemporary textile practice.
