SHIBORI ARTISTS
Dorothea Maranan
&
Cordillera Maranan
Sisters, Dorothea and Cordillera Maranan are “Shibori” artists from Baguio City. Cordillera being the eldest sister and Dorothea or better known as “Duds” by her close friends, established a business named “Pinsel” that focuses on their shibori art form. Shibori means “to wring, squeeze and press” in its Japanese culture, a process of color resist techniques on fabric inspired by nature using locally sourced materials and plant-based pigments. They first started when Cordillera was thirty eight years old and Duds was thirty four years old when they discovered the art of shibori in Thailand. Inspired by the different fabric art and patterns of shibori, they taught themselves and practiced what they’ve learned after they went back to Baguio. After they managed to acquire a certain style on shibori, they established their own business which is Pinsel. They’ve been doing Shibori as their business and also their passion for it during the past 3 years.
Maranan’s Works
The organic coloring dye they use usually comes from Abra and mostly overseas with their tools consisting of needles, threads, pins, string and clamps. Each of their works are unique from one another due to their techniques enabling them to create “Miru” shibori or designing patterns such as circles, squares or shapes of leaves. Starting a project, they first start with “mordant” or “fabric treatment” before stitching, tying and dipping the design on the fabric using threads or pins. They then prepare the dye solution and proceed in dying the fabric. Once dried from the dye, they remove the stitches, clips and pins before soaking the fabric in fixature that is composed of vinegar and ash water. Making a shibori design for a dress takes up to two to three days. What makes their art stand out from the other shibori artists of the region is their own style of stitch resistance technique dating back to ancient times. Fabric that is folded, bound, tied or twisted in order for the dye to color the exposed surface of a fabric creating an aesthetic pattern. Their own style of shibori art has a delicate process on how they incorporate patterns into their projects. They are mostly fond of using the running stitch for creating desired patterns, shapes and simple images.They create unique pieces of clothing for they stated, “it’s not wearing clothes but people wearing their art”. They refer to it as more of a sustainable fashion. With their aforementioned style of shibori art, the similarities that they share with other shibori artists are the use of organic dye and mixing of dye colors to acquire a specific desired natural tone and hue.
Duds and Cordillera are unrelentingly driven by passion, their craft leans toward sustainable practices as they progress. Together with their mother, their art is a therapeutic process for their family despite the tedious and painstaking process. For the sense of fulfilling satisfaction and achievement, the constant scuffle in trial and error became part of their process that developed their creative discipline.
Although not related to shibori, they were guest speakers for watercolor workshops where the knowledge and principle in mixing colors are also applied to what they do in their present projects. For Dorothea and Cordillera, the beauty of an artwork is determined on how an artist passionately enjoys what they do and create. Dorothea and Cordillera plan for their future revolving around the world of shibori art involves a perma-culture farm within the cordillera region that produces plants, fruits and herbs for their organic production of dye colors in order for them to supply dye for themselves and others who are interested in the art of shibori.
