Block Print Berlin: Introduction to Block Printing, Wax Resist & Indigo

Discover the craft of wax resist block printing and indigo dyeing in this hands-on studio session at Atelier Māya in Berlin.

Using molten wax, hand-carved wooden printing blocks, and natural indigo dye vats, hand-printed patterns emerge through one of the world’s oldest surface design techniques.

Warm wax, carved woodblocks, and natural indigo dye transform simple cotton fabric into layered surfaces through rhythm, repetition, and resist. As the wax protects the cloth during dyeing, striking patterns slowly appear. This print process reveals the contrast between indigo and resist.

This session offers a rare opportunity to explore wax-resist block printing and indigo dyeing in a working print and research lab in Berlin.

Very small studio group, maximum 5 participants. Each working at their own 2 meter print table and workspace.

This is a whole-day experience; we keep the atelier open until everyone is happy with the work they have produced.

Each participant produces:

1 × Print Study Cloth (1 meter)
Documenting your experiments in wax resist and pattern exploration

1 × Finished Wax-Resist Textile Piece (choose one)
– 70 × 70 cm textile
– 1 meter of printed fabric
– One of our studio textile products

You leave the studio with both a finished textile and a unique record of your creative process. Each piece reflects the rhythm and character of your own printing exploration, learning and process. You build your own visual language with resist techniques.

We begin with a Print Study Cloth, a one-meter length of cotton used for experimentation, exploration of techniques, and personal discovery.

This is a process-led creative exploration, the cloth becomes a record of the process, allowing experimentation with tools, mark making, pattern, pressure, and the behaviour of wax on cloth.

– block pressure and wax behaviour
– rhythm and repetition in pattern
– layering and resist techniques
– composition on textile surfaces

Working in this way with our study cloth, you will build confidence with wax resist before moving on to the final textile piece.

This study-led approach reflects the Print Thinking methodology that underpins the studio practice at Atelier Māya.

Once the printing is complete, the final pieces are dyed in our indigo vats.

During dyeing, the wax resists the colour, blocking areas of the cloth and allowing the patterns to emerge.

When the wax is removed, the design appears. We see indigo against unprinted cloth. For us, this is one of the most satisfying moments in the process. We have extensive experience in Dabu mud printing with indigo, and we are happy to introduce everyone to our new exploration, wax resist and indigo.

While dyeing and wax removal are underway, you reset your table for further experimentation with eco-friendly textile inks and printing tools.

Our FLOW test prints are a hit!

Please keep in mind that this exploration is a slow process, and patience will give you very good results, not only in print, but in working with indigo.

In this experience, you give yourself the gift of time and explore your creativity.

– molten wax as a resist and surface design tool
– special hand-carved wooden printing blocks
– our Bauhaus-inspired geometrical blocks for resist printing
– tools developed through fieldwork and research
– indigo dye vats
– eco-friendly textile inks and responsible dyes
– natural textiles
– a selection of found tools for pattern exploration
– a special collection of studio-made tools and brushes

– the full wax-resist cycle: printing → dyeing → wax removal → reveal

Who this session is for

Designers, artists, architects, and curious makers drawn to textile processes and material exploration.

No experience needed, come with curiosity, patience, and a willingness to slow down, experiment, and explore.

Wax and indigo invite a different rhythm of making, where pattern reveals itself through process.

The workshop is led by .

With over two decades of experience across photography, multimedia journalism, and design, her work is grounded in visual research and material investigation. She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism, a degree in Visual and Performing Arts, and additional qualifications in multimedia journalism and visual design.

Louw's practice explores the relationship between image, text, and material culture, focusing on documenting craft traditions, creative processes, and objects through long-form research and photography.

Louw continues to develop her practice through ongoing fieldwork with master block printers in India and beyond, where she studies traditional techniques directly within their cultural and material contexts. Her work sits at the intersection of documentation, design research, and contemporary craft practice.

At Atelier Māya, she leads workshops and print labs that translate this research into hands-on studio experiences, offering participants rare access to textile processes informed by fieldwork, practice, and critical inquiry.

Our resist practice is shaped by time spent in Bagru and Bhujpur. We spend a lot of time in the field learning from master printers. In Bhujpur, we studied wax resist and block printing with our mentor and teacher, Anwar Khatri, in his studio.

Our extensive fieldwork and research directly inform how we work with materials, colour, and processes in the atelier. These teachings are shared in our print sessions, offering our guests rare access to heritage knowledge translated into our contemporary print practice.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Māya by Lizane Louw