Join Resident artist Katie Mongoven for a Shibori Dying workshop!
“Discover the art of Shibori, the ancient Chinese and Japanese dyeing technique whose name comes from the verb shiboru, meaning “to wring, squeeze, or press.” This hands-on workshop introduces you to the basics of Shibori through methods such as sewing, binding, and wrapping fabric to create stunning resist-dye patterns.
In this two-hour beginner-friendly session:
The first hour will cover an introduction to Shibori’s history and techniques. You’ll learn several folding and binding methods, then prepare a provided cotton square. The second hour is dedicated to dyeing using vibrant Procion MX dyes, giving your fabric a bold and colorful design. By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with your own uniquely hand-dyed cotton square, a beautiful example of your creativity and craftsmanship.
Please wear old clothes and shoes, or bring an apron, as dyeing can get a little messy!”
Katie Mongoven/秋莲 (b. 1995) is a Chinese American fiber artist from Washington, DC, based in Detroit, MI. Her work investigates and fortifies the space between cultural dichotomies through multiple fiber processes. She received her BFA from the University of Michigan and MFA in Fiber from Cranbrook Academy of Art with the Surface Design Association’s Outstanding Student Award. She was a Roman J. Witt Visiting Artist at the University of Michigan, a Windgate University Fellow at Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts (TN), and the Barstow Artist-in-Residence at Central Michigan University. Other residencies attended include the California Institute of the Arts, the University of Michigan, and Vermont Studio Center, with a forthcoming residency at Stove Works (TN) in 2025. Solo and group exhibitions include the University of Michigan, Playground Detroit, Riffe Gallery (OH), and ROY G BIV Gallery (OH). She has public and corporate commissions at the Cranbrook Art Museum, PayTile, and Cross River Bank. Her work is held in public collections at Central Michigan University, Summa Health, and MetroHealth and in numerous private collections throughout the United States.
My art practice explores the space between fate and free will, past and present, and here and there. Like all in-between, third spaces, these are not fixed binaries, but evolving swirls of interaction and negotiation. Using cotton, silk, bamboo, hair, beads, and found ceramics, I examine the themes of identity, “ornamentalism”, and bodily autonomy as they interact within the Asian American diaspora – viewed through the lens of an orphan and adoptee from China’s One-Child Policy era. In my work, I seek to reclaim the historically Oriental and ornamental and emphasize what exists outside and in between the binary. The materials I use are analogs of my own commodified body – an Oriental vessel, “Made in China”, yet crafted for Western consumption.