Plant Fibers
The link between sustainability and ancestral knowledge
The Linen Project
The oldest evidence we have of plants being used for textile fibers was between 30,000 - 34,000 years ago. Flax fibers discovered by archaeologists at Dzudzuaana cave in the Republic of Georgia. Flax fibers are just one example of the large variety of vegetable fibers that can provide a valuable material resource, giving infinite possibilities of use, such as; basketry, net making, textiles, filling, composites, and etc.
The use of plant fibers, when done ethically and with respect, can allow us to live more sustainably and with a closer connection to Nature. Indigenous communities understood this from the beginning, and they have been living sustainably long before it reached the mainstream. This is reflected in how sustainability is not only using greener materials, but also is deeply connected with traditions, ancestral knowledge, and the total and utter respect for Nature itself. Those communities would never take more than required, nor would they take materials from the Earth without being appreciative for its resources. It is this connection, this respect and admiration for the Earth itself, which is the missing step towards a sustainable and compassionate life for many. The answer to how to live sustainably lies in the knowledge of those who know how to connect with the Earth and respect all forms of life as one.
The Linen Project
The Linen Project
The rituals and ceremonies practiced in the past for every step of cultivation (planting the seed, growth, harvest) provided people with a deep sense of ease and reciprocity. The warm feeling of community and coexistence with their surroundings, and the care they had at every stage of the process added significance to the final outcome. Initiatives like The Linen Project are an example and a ray of hope to anyone who believes in the importance of this connection. A joint initiative by ArtEZ MA Practice Held in Common and Crafts Council Nederland, The Linen Project is working to bring back the cultivation of flax in the Netherlands, investigating the economic viability of small-scale production and maintaining a holistic approach throughout the whole process. Earlier this year, the first metres of industrially-woven linen textile, woven by their partners at Enschede Textielstad were created. Collaborations with local and small-scale businesses is at the core of the project; which has had wonderfully fruitful results so far. The Linen Project today works via a Shared Stewardship program, whereby a group of about 30 people share all the activities of the production of flax in the Gelderland region. During harvest time, the project embraces the idea of harvesting flax like they did in the past, as a celebration, a festivity that gathers people to hand-pull the plant and prepare it for the next step - retting.
The Linen Project
I remember my first time in the flax field, which occurred soon after my arrival in the Netherlands, during my first year of the MA Practice Held in Common course. The idea of actually caring for a plant that would later be spun into yarn and woven into textile was completely fascinating to me, as I had never experienced such a thing. I knew nobody then, and yet the sense of community was everywhere. We worked happily in the warm summer sun, and later would gather together to have tea in the grass, with fallen acorns surrounding us. As I walked between the lines of flax lying on the ground, wondering why had I never done this before and watching little frogs jump around, I thought to myself “This is it. This is the missing link”. In my view, those who work with fabrics can never expect to be sustainable without at least knowing how their fiber was cultivated, and of course, by whom. I remember being told by Pascale Gatzen, cofounder of The Linen Project and Head of MA Practice Held in Common, that the first spun linen yarn produced from The Linen Project’s pilot season was extremely fine yarn - shiny, fine and beautiful. I like to believe that all the love and care - for both nature and people - put into this entire project directly contributed to the perfection of the yarn. Projects like these, that pursue a symbiotic relationship with nature and local communities, are on the right path towards relearning the fundamentals that were once natural to us. We must bring back this valuable knowledge, so we can once again be in sync with every living being.
The Linen Project
Of course, this is not new - there are communities in the world who have had these practices for centuries. Romania has the last rural civilization in Europe, where they still live by the knowledge of their ancestors, keeping alive important cultural traditions and customs. They recognize the sacred in all living things, and have strong respect for Nature and all that comes from it. The hemp plant for example, is not simply a raw material to Romanians; it is a cultural plant of the country. Until 1989, Romania ranked first in European hemp cultivation, and fourth in the world. Every household used to cultivate hemp, and spinning and weaving was an important activity amongst women. Hemp represents to them not only a natural fiber for textiles, but also a magical and versatile plant used in different traditions and representing different moments of life. You can find mention of hemp in poems, songs and even prayers. The plant also has a significant importance in funerals and death rituals - a hemp shroud, woven in two halves, symbolizing a pair of wings for the dead’s soul to set itself free. Elderly women believed to have magical abilities would spin a leash of hemp and tie the legs and arms, symbolizing a horse’s reins for the ride into the afterlife. During winter evenings, usually after the agricultural work in the farms, women would gather together in what they call “Șezătoare” - a small gathering specific to the rural environment, where they would tell stories and sing while spinning their hemp. It is a powerful plant that represents both a useful resource and a spiritual connection.
The Linen Project - Flax
The Hop Project - Raw Hop Fibers
It was because of hemp that I began researching deeper into hop fibers - from the Humulus Lupulus plant. They are from the same family, and therefore have similar structures. When I learnt that the stem of the plant where the bast fibers are, were considered waste, I was even more motivated to go forward with The Hop Project - a research project that explores the material potential of the byproducts from hop farming. The fiber had been used for textiles many years ago; two examples can be seen at the Nordiska Museum in Stockholm, where hop fibers are found: a Swedish manufacturer’s textile sample book from 1766 to 1775, collected by Adolf Modéer, and a woman’s undergarment from Jämtland, Sweden. Volunteering at The Linen Project has inspired me to focus my research on plant fibers, which has led me to read about the many different plant fibers of the world. I started contacting local hop farmers, and creating collaborations with those who shared my vision. Through ArtEZ Future Makers, I participated in the ACT module with Wageningen University, where students of different masters would work on trying to find solutions to make hop fibers more suitable for textiles. I experimented vastly in my kitchen, where for months it functioned as a hop fiber processing station. It was an immense amount of work, but I deeply enjoyed watching the plant transform so beautifully into fiber.
The Hop Project
There are thousands of plant fibers that can be explored, each one with their own unique qualities and importance. This really makes me wonder about the clothes we wear today. How can we truly give something the significance it deserves without understanding the history behind it? Let us learn from the past and bring the value back to what we wear, from seed to garment, from soil to body.
Cannabis: Evolution and Ethnobotany, Robert C. Clarke, Mark D. Merlin 2013 pg 281