The Māya Journey
Atelier Māya began with a question about how cloth holds knowledge. It has grown into a studio, a print lab and a practice of learning by hand.
Where it began
The practice began with a first visit to Bagru in 2016, a printers' village south of Jaipur where textiles still dry on balconies and colour comes from madder, myrobalan, iron and indigo. Years of returning followed, learning Bagru and Dabu mud printing at the tables of the Chhippa community, and everything made in Berlin since carries that instruction.
What we stand on
Behind the work sits a set of commitments. How materials are sourced, how we collaborate with artisans and pay for that work, what transparency means when a textile is made by many hands, and why education sits at the centre of everything the atelier does.
Founding Objectives
The objectives written when Māya was founded, and still the measure for the work we do today. Minimal waste, sustainable materials, fair pay and safe conditions for the artisans we work alongside, women’s empowerment, and making sure traditional print skills continue to be practised and passed on.
Provenance of printed work
Hand block printed by Lizane Louw in the Dabu tradition. Bagru, Rajasthan. December 2023 and January 2024.