Cochinilla

Cochinilla

Cochinilla is an insect which lives on the nopal cactus. It has been used for centuries in Mexico and the Andes to dye wool and once enjoyed such fame and value that it was ranked as high as silver on the stock exchange.
For this collection, I explored ideas of colonialism through deconstruction and the use of cohinilla, from which I created a paint based on 18th century ink and pigment recipes.