My new textile project is born near Staraya Ladoga, on a garden plot where every layer of soil holds history.

The earth of my garden contains:
460 million years — fossilized trilobites and shells from the Ordovician sea beneath my feet,
10th century — iron horseshoes and coins from early Rus’ lost in the soil,
Today— nettles, oak leaves, and rust that become my dyes.

I started to dye natural fabrics with what I find here:
Last year’s oak leaves — create deep brown hues like humus,
Rusty horseshoes — leave marks on the fabric resembling archaeological finds,
Fresh nettles — a green shade like spring shoots.

It’s my conversation with the earth that nourishes, preserves memory, and transforms along with me.