Colour as a living language
- Parmeet is an ecological activist and artist specialising in natural dyes
- She honours nature, materials and living traditions through her work
- Her creations include sculptures, textiles, installations and land-based projects
Parmeet Kaur Tesson is an interdisciplinary artist, natural dye specialist and biomaterial researcher based in the Cognac region of France. Born in Punjab, India, her practice bridges ancestral Indian dye traditions, such as indigo, madder and myrobalan, with regenerative craft and eco-friendly innovation in France. "I work with living materials, including plants, fungi, silk and mycelium. This is how I explore relationships between humans, nature and place," Parmeet says. Central to her work is the living indigo vat, shaped by climate, bacteria and seasonal change. Parmeet also contributes to living heritage by fostering meaningful collaborations with artisans, designers and brands aligned with her ecological and ethical values.
Interview
- How would you describe your practice?
- My practice is rooted in relationships between humans, non-humans, land and culture. I work with living materials, not as surface decoration but as a living medium with memory. Colour comes from soil and plants, from places shaped by history, migration and trade. It carries ancestral stories.
- What role do place and geography play in your work?
- Their role is fundamental. The land where I come from, Punjab, and where I live now, the Cognac region of France, are deeply connected through soil, plants and climate. Each geography speaks the same language of nature, but with a different tone. My responsibility as an artist is to listen to these places.
- Why is indigo central to your textile dyeing?
- My grandfather was an indigo dyer. Indigo connects histories across India, Africa, Japan and Europe. Working with a living indigo vat teaches me patience, surrender and responsibility toward the soil. Through it, I reconnect family memory, my practice in the present, and a global story of colour and craft.
- How do your philosophy or way of working guide you?
- My grandfather always told me to live like three animals: an elephant, a bee and a silkworm. The elephant gives me steadiness and stability, holding the memory of a long ancestral life. As a bee, I do my work without thinking, I simply perform. As a silkworm, I give something precious without claiming ownership. These are the three philosophies I try to channel in my work.
Parmeet Kaur Tesson is a rising star: she began her career in 2020 and she started teaching in 2020
Where
Parmeet Kaur Tesson
