Tinta Dulce explores the possibilities of the coca leaf to create natural inks applied to natural fibers, watercolor, and screen printing.
Coca leaf dye bath by María José Gómez. Photo by Andrea Finella.
Watercolor made from coca flour. Photo by Andrea Finella.
Screen printing with ink prepared using coca flour by Felipe Herreño. Photo by Andrea Finella.
Beyond its artistic focus, this collective experimentation seeks to change the perception of the coca leaf and the communities that cultivate it, reclaiming its cultural value and its use as a creative resource to promote a more prosperous and equitable rurality.
Coca leaves and other local dye plants used for the development of the color palette. Photo by Andrea Finella.
Preparation of fique fiber for dyeing. Photo by Andrea Finella.
Preparation of dye bath with coca leaf. Photo by Andrea Finella.
Changing the pH of dye baths to obtain different shades. Photo by Andrea Finella.
Cooling the dye bath to finish the dyeing process. Photo by Andrea Finella.
Cotton, fique, and pineapple fiber drying in the shade after the dyeing process. Photo by Andrea Finella.
In Colombia and the Andean territory, for various indigenous communities, coca is a sacred element with medicinal and nutritional properties. Its cultivation and consumption are part of ancestral practices that strengthen cultural identity and promote local economies.
Even with this cultural context, the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs classified the coca leaf within Schedule I of narcotics, subjecting it to strict international controls, paralyzing scientific advancements, and accentuating the stigma surrounding it.
Coca leaf. El Tambo, Cauca. Photo by Monica Suarez
Coca flour. Photo by Andrea Finella.
Dried coca leaf. Photo by Andrea Finella.
Meanwhile, over the last 50 years, the cultivation of coca leaf in Colombia has been a very important axis for peasant economies, especially for those living in remote rural areas. Within the context of a drug policy focused on prohibition and the stigmatization of coca-growing communities, violence in the country has been accentuated, and the plant has been decontextualized, disregarding traditional uses, its properties, and its cultural legacy.
Meeting of artisan associations linked to the project, during the coca leaf dyeing workshop in Ubaté. Photo by: Liliana Merizalde.
Preparation of dye bath with coca flour, dyeing workshop in Ubaté. Photo by: Liliana Merizalde.
Pajarita Caucana was a collective created in 2021 that included Ginger Blonde and María Alejandra Torres with the intention of destigmatizing and reclaiming the coca plant, exploring its uses in natural dyeing and promoting the intersections between crafts, art, design, and fashion to build new narratives from there.
This phase highlighted the color of coca as a narrative resource and presented the research results in spaces relevant to public policy decisions.
Skeins of silk after the dye bath. El Tambo, Cauca. Photo by Daniela Rubio
During this phase, a first color palette using coca leaf on silk thread was developed with the Agroarte Association. This initiative focused primarily on the dissemination of the color of coca as a narrative resource and presented an initial color palette with the resulting shades from the research in various exhibition spaces.
Silk garments dyed with coca during the exhibition at Casa Aainjaa. Photo by Nicolás Luna
Working with community associations has been the fundamental axis for transforming the creative resource of natural dyes into a tool for rural and economic development. We have seen the number of organizations that incorporate coca leaf-dyed pieces into their catalog grow, and their sales increase substantially.
Within the experience of working with artisan associations, we highlight the knowledge-sharing gatherings, where work and life experiences are shared. In these gatherings, tools for change are generated that we hope will become mechanisms to transform regulatory barriers in the future.
Process for straining "lengua de vaca" (cow's tongue), a natural mordant used during the process. Photo by Liliana Merizalde.
Different shades obtained with the coca leaf by modifying the pH of the dye bath. Photo by Liliana Merizalde
Process for straining coca flour, before starting the dyeing process. Photo by Liliana Merizalde
So far, the following collectives have joined the project:
Hermenila, member of the Guacamayas Artisans Association in Boyacá. Photo by Liliana Merizalde.
Natural fibers dyed with coca leaf and over-dyed with different plants. Photo by Liliana Merizalde.
Rocío, Hermelina, and Sandra, participating artisans in the coca leaf dyeing workshop in Ubaté. Photo by Liliana Merizalde.
Coca leaf dyeing workshop in Ubaté. Photo by Liliana Merizalde.
In this coloring book, the artist Esteban Borrero explores his imaginary about Colombian birds in a quest to connect the project with younger audiences, through the anatomy of the plant and small clues about its close relationship with Andean farming communities.
The publication was printed with coca ink, prepared by mixing coca flour with screen printing ink on paper.
Ginger Blonde
The process of declassification and destigmatization of the coca leaf is extensive and requires patience and continuous evolution. At Tinta Dulce, we hope to continue being part of this journey with new sources of funding, new allies, and conversations that nourish our work.
