काई | KAAI

A carbon-negative alternative to traditional Indian block printing.

Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.

Dr Edward O. Wilson.

Born and raised in Jaipur, a city known for its rich textile heritage, I have always had a deep appreciation of traditional Indian block-printed textiles, yet I have equally witnessed first-hand the devastating effects that this industry has had on the nearby rivers, air quality and land. This project explores how this craft could become not just more sustainable, but actually carbon negative.

Microalgae are microorganisms that perform photosynthesis: they absorb carbon dioxide and convert it to oxygen. Algae produce more than 50% of the world's oxygen. They purify wastewater and have the ability to absorb the heavy metals commonly found in the synthetic dyes used in textile production. Spirulina is one such cyanobacteria and is commonly found in Jaipur.

Hand block printing is synonymous with Indian culture, and Jaipur is the city most associated with this craft. Block printing plays a major role in its community, supporting thousands of skilled craftspeople.

Although historically the industry used natural and local dyes, today it uses almost entirely synthetic and artificial dyes that contribute to the harmful effects of global warming and pollute the local waterways, rivers and land with their toxic chemical composition.

We should no longer measure our wealth and success in the graph that shows economic growth, but in the curve that shows the emissions of greenhouse gases.

Greta Thunberg (2019) Speech to UK Parliament.

In this project, I have been exploring how microalgae, a prolific, cheap and carbon-absorbing superpower, could replace synthetic dyes and produce textiles that are not just true to the heritage and traditions of Jaipur but could equally remediate the land and water and capture more carbon in the process of harvesting it than it emits.

It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.

David Attenborough (2016).