stories

tales of yesterday, today, tomorrow

Local color is deeply nurtured by stories.

Stories of people and plants, of matter and life, of practices of alchemy and chemistry. Stories that embody relations – shed light on the way we see the world around us. Local color believes that to see the unseen we need to take the time to explore our close surroundings through everyday stories, listening to and experiencing our city with our personal senses and collective intelligence.

3 Jul 2023

Ruins of an industry in Amsterdam.

an interview with Heleen van Deur by Maarten Smith
10 Jun 2024

Painting with dirty hands: An interview with Naan Rijks

“If you find a beautiful way of expressing yourself, but you haven’t thought about where your pigments come from, then it will remain deeply flawed.” an interview by Maarten Smith
4 May 2024

Botanical stories

from plant stories to plant-blindness: when the awareness of a problem, is the first sign of hope. How to learn again to "see the unseen" all around us. text by Cecilia Raspanti
17 Jul 2024

BioChromes's invisible companions

What we know, what we don’t know and all the stories we tell about mordants. text by Cecilia Raspanti
21 Jan 2026

All things indigo: An interview with Aki Takeshita

Aki envisions systems in the near future where indigo plants are grown collectively and dyeing becomes a shared resource. An interview by Ista Boszhard
21 Jan 2026

Dyes and textiles: An interview with Leentje van Hengel of Tinctoria

From working in the industry to running her own studio: read about Leentje her dye journey and fascination for natural dyes. An interview by Ista Boszhard
21 Jan 2026

Heritage: an interview with Ana Albano Serrano

Read about Ana who sees her work as part of a broader effort to recover and reactivate lost knowledge. An interview by Ista Boszhard
21 Jan 2026

Colorful projects: An interview with Roua

Read about Roua who describes herself as both an entrepreneur and a witch and balances science and intuition in her dyeing practice. An interview by Ista Boszhard
3 Mar 2024

The need to name and the stories we tell

Looking back at Local Color Meetup#2 by Hannah-Rose Fleishman
30 Jul 2024

Botanical gardens: insights from Maarten van Bodegraven

How botanical gardens and cultural practises are tied to one and another
31 Jan 2025

Natural dyes, craftsmanship and sustainability

by Karmijn Lange
6 Sep 2025

PROCESS MAP - AUDIO

Click on the play button to let Cecilia Raspanti explain you the map