Axel Becker

Blue
The Art of Slow-Dyeing with Indigo

In Blue, artist and indigo-dyer Axel Becker introduces a centuries-old craft where natural processes, precision, and patience are paramount. He has mastered and refined this traditional technique – passed down to him by masters in Germany, Poland, and Japan, many of whom have since passed away. Becker is one of the last practitioner of this traditional method in the Nordic region and likely one of the last in Europe. He has transcended the boundaries of the tradition, pushing the technique to its limits in his own artistic projects.

Blue is not merely the story of a vanishing craft, but also the story of the last bearer of this tradition. We follow him from his remote studio in Trøndelag to international professional circles, as he seeks to understand the significance of his work. An unexpected commission from UNESCO leads him to view his life’s work from a broader perspective, as part of a larger cultural heritage that also holds hope for the future.

Through diaries, sketches, and vivid scenes from his workshop, Becker blends personal narrative with insightful non-fiction. Blue is a richly illustrated and deeply fascinating book about craftsmanship, sustainability, and the value of slowness as a counterforce in an age defined by haste and consumption. It is an inspiring story of how an artist draws sustenance from tradition, and carries that tradition forward in hopes for a more sustainable future for the textile industry.