FROM GARANCE /MADDER ROOTS

From Garance Root

Garance (madder) grows naturally between vineyards in the Cognac region and is often regarded as a wild or overlooked plant.

In this practice, garance is approached as a cultivated colour source. Roots are harvested seasonally and processed through long, low-temperature extraction to produce reds ranging from soft earth tones to deeper mineral hues.

Applied to silk, paper, and textile samples, the colour responds to soil conditions, plant maturity, and seasonal variation.

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Origin — Garance

Garance carries a long material history between India and France, where madder once shaped dyeing and textile traditions.

Working with garance in Cognac connects this overlooked plant to a broader lineage of red dye practices, while remaining grounded in the conditions of the local landscape in which it grows.

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