Enquire

Enquire

Botanical textiles, made by hand in Sri Lanka

Our story

Nature, material and practice

NILA is an independent botanical textile studio in Sri Lanka, where nature, material and artistic practice meet in cloth.

Hands lifting steamed leaves from a cloth printed in umber, olive and charcoal on an outdoor table.

The work begins with real leaves, and ends the moment a bundle is opened.

The studio is led by an eco-printing artist who has invested deeply in learning the craft, through international online courses and hands-on training with experts in Thailand, and who continues to develop it through constant experiment with leaves, fabrics and colour.

Her work spans cotton, silk and other suitable fabrics, and ranges from muted botanical neutrals to richer, deeper colour. Each piece begins with real leaves, laid by hand, and ends with the moment a bundle is opened and the print is seen for the first time.

Rows of green leaves arranged along a long white cloth laid out on a lawn.

Learning

A practice built on study

  1. 01

    International online study

    Courses in eco-printing that built the foundations of her practice.

  2. 02

    Hands-on training in Thailand

    Practical training with experienced eco-printing experts.

  3. 03

    Constant experiment

    An ongoing studio practice of testing leaves, fabrics, arrangements and colour.

A dark, steamed palmate leaf is peeled back to reveal its green print on cream cloth.

Peeling back a steamed leaf to see its print.

Two studios in one

Making, and teaching

  • The eco-printed floor lamp, its shade printed with palmate leaves in sage and moss green, standing in a bright corner.

    The product studio

    Original botanical textiles, textile artwork, wearable pieces and carefully chosen pieces for the home.

    Explore the collection
  • Rows of green leaves arranged along a long white cloth laid out on a lawn.

    The knowledge studio

    Eco-printing education: workshops, demonstrations and sessions for universities and organisations, arranged on enquiry.

    Workshops & education

Materials & colour

From quiet neutrals to deep colour

The studio prints on cotton, silk and other suitable fabrics, in palettes that range from muted botanical neutrals to richer, deeper colour. These swatches are sampled from its own pieces.

  • StoneBotanical Triptych
  • CharcoalBotanical Triptych
  • BlushBotanical Triptych
  • BurgundyBotanical Triptych
  • SagePalmate Leaf Cloth
  • OlivePalmate Leaf Cloth
  • UmberPalmate Leaf Cloth
  • OchreGolden Leaf Cloth
  • SaffronGolden Leaf Shirt

What guides the work

  • Made by hand

    Every leaf is chosen and placed by hand, and every bundle is bound and opened by hand.

  • Unique by nature

    Each print records particular leaves at a particular moment, so no two pieces are ever quite the same.

  • Knowledge, shared

    Teaching is part of the practice, opening the craft to individuals, students and institutions.

Explore the collectionGet in touch