Take a closer look at the patterns, stories and traditions behind Àdìrẹ on Ice. Begin with a guided viewing of Odudu Umoessien’s Transform the Trail installation, then head indoors for a hands-on textile workshop exploring Yoruba àdìrẹ traditions, pattern-making, and discover the ways textiles can carry memory and meaning.
Engage with the rich history, patterns, intricate geometries, and storytelling of Yoruba àdìrẹ textile traditions featured in Odudu Umoessien’s winter installation, Àdìrẹ on Ice.
The workshop starts with a group viewing of the exhibition along the Skate Trail to experience the installation in motion, then gather inside The Bentway’s Strachan Gallery for an intimate, hands-on textile workshop led by artist Tri Easey.
Together we’ll explore the dyeing and patterning techniques of cloth both as a carrier of memory and as a collective seasonal ritual. Participants will learn stitch-resist àdìrẹ, a Yoruba indigo-dyeing tradition where hand-stitched patterns are sewn into textiles, then pulled and tied to resist the dye.
After a brief overview of indigo, the history of àdìrẹ, and demonstrations of simple hand-sewing stitches and the dyeing process, participants will create their own visual story through symbols and patterns inspired by àdìrẹ, as they stitch, dip-dye, and unpick to reveal their design and view everyone’s pieces as a collective. Participants will leave with a small hand-dyed patch and the skills to continue the technique at home.
What to expect:
- All skills levels welcome – no experience necessary.
- This is an indoor, guided workshop hosted at the Bentway’s Strachan Gallery (located at Strachan Gate, below the timbre amphitheater)
- Youth under age 16 must be accompanied by a caregiver.
- All materials are provided.
- Accessible and all-gender washrooms are available on-site.
