Kaliko Journal is a free newsletter about natural dyeing, textiles, art practice, and life by Ania Grzeszek. Feel free to share parts of this letter wherever and with whomever you’d like. If you want to support my work, subscribe to this publication and/or purchase my handmade products. Thank you.
I'm building a house. Well, actually it's a 35 sqm (370 sq ft) tiny cottage with a loft bed, but for me, it's my first ever house. I have dreamt about it for a few years now. The first time this thought popped into my mind was the same year I founded Kaliko. A big year of big dreams. At the beginning of 2016 wrote in my journal that by 10 years mark I would build a house for myself.
A dream is just a dream, though, if you don’t act on it. And the process to get there—that’s not something I accounted for if I’m being honest. Building a house is stressful, uncomfortable, and often unpleasant. I am doing it all by myself, without any support—my partner doesn’t speak the language—living over 400km away from the construction site, and having no practical experience (yes, I’m an architect, but I never actually built anything start-to-finish!). I often feel frustrated, exhausted, and alone. Would I quit the dream if I knew that the road to get there would be that hard? No. I wouldn’t—because the wish to realize this dream is greater than all the obstacles that I encounter.
Aren’t dreams just that? They push us to go through all the discomfort, in order to get to where we want to be. Building a house, building a business, building a family, building a life we want for ourselves.
One dream is in the making, and new dreams start to form in my head. I’m thinking about who I want to be in my new house, and what I want my life to look like. How I want to spend my energy. What else I want to explore.
My plans for the next months are to set better structures for my business so that it can support my art practice. Kaliko 2.0 if you want, which I’m already excited about. And next to Kaliko, there will be more of my personal—Ania Grzeszek—art that I want to share with the world.
In preparation for all that I am opening commissions for my botanical monoprints today.
If you appreciate what I do and want to support me, please consider purchasing my art. I want to use the commissions as a runway for restructuring my practice, while I work on Kaliko 2.0 in the upcoming months and make more space for creativity in 2023. My house is scheduled to be finished by December, so is my business re-work. Commissions will allow me to bridge the gap between where I am and where I want to go.
About my monoprints: each monoprint is unique and can’t be reproduced. I lay each mark carefully by hand, on pre-treated vintage canvas. The fabric I found for this project is reclaimed natural linen, with a beautiful, slightly uneven textured surface. Instead of ink, I use logwood shavings—the color comes directly from nature. After laying the motif is completed, I use steam and heat to transfer the image onto the canvas. I let the wood and linen interact, with my guidance but without fully controlling the process. This is what makes each print unique and allows “happy accidents” to happen. Once the printing is done, I fix and darken the color with natural post-fixative, which also gives the linen a softer, warmer hue. I stretch each piece onto wooden bars so that it can be framed, hung, and enjoyed
What you can commission:
a word or phrase you want to see every day
a symbol that means something to you
a name of your sibling’s newborn
your friends’ wedding date
a Christmas gift for your partner
your company’s logo
a rude word that you’d rather not say out loud
an inspirational quote to hang over your toilet
…or anything else you want.
Please get in touch so that we can talk about your commission. I am open to your ideas and I want to work with you to make an artwork that you will cherish. We will talk about the motive, the size, and the frame, but first, we’ll talk about what is important to you, so that I can best understand your wishes.
Hit “reply” to this email or message me at hello@kaliko.co
The maximum size I offer is 50x70cm (unless you’re based in Berlin), and the minimum is 15x15cm. I offer free worldwide shipping. All commissions will be shipped no later than in time for Christmas. Each piece will be priced individually, depending on factors like size and framing. Here are a few examples to give you an idea:
15x15cm, stretched, floating frame - 80€
18x24cm, stretched, unframed - 100€
30x40cm, stretched, floating frame - 300€
50x70cm, stretched, regular frame - 870€
The nature of botanical dyeing means the color might mature over time. The same holds true for the frame made with untreated wood. The piece will get a beautiful patina over time, but you don’t have to worry about it fading to nothing. The print is saturated and fixed.
Thank you for all your support, currently and in the past, as I constantly navigate smaller and bigger changes. I am looking forward to developing this body of work with you in mind.