Emma Loli Joly explores the use of natural dye in letterform drawing. At The Mothership, she started an ongoing collection of letterforms called ‘growing letters, drawing plants’. 

During her residency, she focused mainly on the use of thickened mordant. Through bodies of plants she traced letters on pieces of fabric with this almost invisible paste. Walking among the surrounding nature, she chose plants that give color, harvested, shredded, macerated them, let them slightly simmer in water. Only after, the color from the plants bit to the words. The body of each letter that composed them and their distinctive details revealed themselves. Opened up. 

Emma Loli Joly is a french-spanish textile artist, with a background in graphic design. She currently lives in Brussels where she practices weaving, natural dye and letterform drawing. She is also part of the artist-run space Pleasure Island.

Photo credits: Emma Joly