NaSiS – “Sodium, Silicon + Sulfur: Alchemical Configurations of Salt, Sand and Sea”

About the Facilitator

Tajah Ellis is bio-designer and researcher, born and based in Brooklyn, NY. By way of floral botany, hardwood, and algae, Ellis centers the circularity of natural materials to produce color. Her craft synthesizes intuitive chemistry, organic mapping and biological emergences as investigate points onto textiles.  

Ellis has shared her work as Genspace’s Artist in Residence, NEW INC’s Creative Science Cohort, a contributing panelist for New York Textile Month and Parsons School of Constructed Environments and has been featured in Art Forum, Mold Magazine, Essence, New York Times and Botanical Colors.

Objective

Students will create a range of colors from select dye material through acid and alkaline agents. 

The chemical expression of plant matter can be altered to create a variety of colors from one source. These stages signify three distinct forms of transformation expressed through the color scale: light, medium and dark. We will use citric acid, soda ash, and iron to express these distinct stages of mineral distribution. 

What's Included

• Silk 
• PH Modifiers 
• Dyes 
• Utensils 
• Flowers 
• Snacks 
• Tags for Notes

What to Bring

Yourself

Disclaimer

We will be working with chemicals that have the potential to cause itching, coughing or irritation. They will be dissolved within water before the arrival of the audience but please be mindful of this and wear a mask if you are weary.