Alquimia Textil

Alquimia Textil is a collaborative project with María Lucía Muñoz documenting natural dyeing by artisans in Cusco. It highlights ancestral techniques, material processes, and embraces unpredictability as a poetic resistance to industrial standardization.

Alquimia Textil is a collaborative exploration project created alongside fashion researcher and designer María Lucía Muñoz. The work documents natural dyeing techniques practiced by the women artisans of Pumaqwasin, in Chinchero, Cusco.

The project seeks to give visibility to, and help preserve, these ancestral dyeing methods and techniques that require meticulous hours of manual labor and often go unnoticed within the broader textile industry. As traditional processes are increasingly being displaced by industrial methods, we aim to highlight their value and significance by revealing each stage of the dyeing journey. The work also fosters a direct connection with the local community and honors the artisanal labor behind these practices.

The photographs feature three natural dyes traditionally used in the region: qolle (Buddleja coriacea), a shrub or small tree whose flowers yield a range of yellow tones; ch’illka (Baccharis species), whose leaves and stems produce ochre and green hues; and the well-known cochineal (Dactylopius coccus), a small insect native to the Andean valleys, from which a wide spectrum of reds can be extracted, ranging from scarlet to crimson to deep purple.

Although I documented the process using both digital and analog photography, I chose to present only the analog images. Unbeknownst to me, both cameras I used had light leaks. What initially seemed like a technical flaw became a symbol of the unpredictable nature of artisanal dyeing, which relies on firewood, lacks precise temperature control, and varies according to conditions. This project does not aim to control every variable but rather to embrace the unexpected. I also incorporated the Van Dyke technique on papers and fabrics dyed with natural pigments. This process, activated by sunlight, produces unique earthy tones, reinforcing nature’s active participation in the work.

I find a shared logic between analog photography and natural dyes: a transformation guided by time, chemistry, and intuition. Their convergence allows not only for aesthetic exploration but also for a defense of manual labor as a poetic gesture and an act of resistance against industrial standardization. At a time when artificial intelligence seeks to replace the tangible with “perfect” simulations, these practices remind us of the value of the handmade, the beauty of imperfection, and the importance of nurturing what is real.

This work was awarded first prize in the “Environment” category at the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 and was exhibited internationally as part of the award’s official program. It was also published in MAPS #7923 of the British Journal of Photography and featured on PhotoVogue.