PARMEETKAUR TESSON

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To cultivate a place-based indigo practice, I established my studio in Cognac, France, where I develop naturally fermented indigo using materials gathered from the surrounding landscape. Working between France and India, I explore how indigo can become rooted in the places where it is grown, fermented and made.

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My practice brings together three connected processes: cultivation, fermentation and making. I cultivate indigo, develop naturally fermented vats using locally sourced materials, and build each project through one continuous practice. In Cognac, oak ash from local cooperages, oyster shells from the Atlantic coast and agricultural by-products become part of the fermentation process. Rather than relying on standard recipes, I explore how local landscapes shape naturally fermented indigo.

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Working alongside farmers, artisans and regional makers, I explore how naturally fermented indigo can become part of existing craft traditions through collaboration, observation and material research. Through exhibitions, residencies, workshops and educational programmes, I continue to develop and share this practice.

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My current goal is to establish a self-sustaining indigo system in Cognac, bringing together cultivation, fermentation and locally sourced materials as the foundation for naturally fermented indigo

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Work presented at Hampi Art Labs (India), CHABRAM² – L'École Centre d'Art Contemporain (France), Fondation Martell (France) and Domaine de Boisbuchet (France). Featured by MaterialDistrict and Future Materials Bank, and represented in the Homo Faber Guide.