Indigo and Rust Dyeing with Mahdi Chandler

Friday 30 October 2026, 10am-4pm
Cost: $180 per person excluding GST
Maximum: 12 participants

Explore the striking combination of deep indigo blue and the warm, weathered tones created by rust. Mahdi will introduce you to experimental dyeing techniques that use colour, texture and chemical reaction to transform cloth and paper.

This hands-on workshop celebrates curiosity and the happy accident. You'll layer marks, test ideas and see how indigo and rust interact to create beautifully individual results. No two pieces will be quite the same - and that's half the fun.

About Mahdi Chandler

Mahdi Chandler is a Tasmanian artist with a deep curiosity about natural colour, texture and materials gathered from the landscape. For more than 30 years, she has collected clay and soils from roadsides and verges around Tasmania, using them to dye and stain cloth and paper and to make inks, crayons and watercolours.

Her wider practice includes basketry, clay vessels and alternative firing techniques such as pit firing, raku, botanical printing and saggar firing. She works with smoke, fire, seaweed, sawdust, copper wire and gathered plant fibres, embracing the random and unexpected results these materials produce.

At the heart of Mahdi's work is a simple question: What if? She isn't worried about getting it wrong - every surprise is an invitation to follow a different creative path.

Lunch and travel

Please bring a picnic lunch or book lunch at Bruny Island Wild Cafe on 0437 235 622.

The Bruny Island ferry departs from Kettering. Check ferry times in advance and allow enough travel time from the ferry terminal to Dennes Point.

October is Workshop Month at bruny NORTH

Come and play, make and unwind with us at bruny NORTH this October. Our 2026 program brings together a terrific group of Tasmanian artists for six hands-on workshops inspired by textiles, found objects and Bruny Island's beautiful coastal environment.

Whether you're an experienced maker, a complete beginner or simply keen to try something new, you'll be warmly welcomed. Places are limited, so early bookings are recommended.

Venue: bruny NORTH, 18 Bruny Island Main Road, Dennes Point, Bruny Island
General enquiries: events.brunynorth@gmail.com

Contact the host of Indigo and Rust Dyeing with Mahdi Chandler