Dutch artist Aliki van der Kruijs has found a way to map the weather by capturing raindrops in ink on to textiles, which can then be worn.
In order to do this, the artist developed her own technique called pluviagraphy – drawing with rain. Using a film coating that is sensitive to water, it becomes possible to create a visual recording of rainfall on a filmed piece of textile. Whether it’s a soft drizzle or a tropical downpour, the type of rain creates a unique print.
Aliki van der Kruijs’ collection of rain textile prints, Made by Rain, are 100% silk, handmade and customised with time, location, mm of rainfall, and weather circumstances under which the pluviagraphy was done. This way, the textiles form a collection of weather data – visual recordings of a specific day in history.
The Hague-based artist’s fascination with the weather started when she inherited twelve calendars from her grandfather. On each calendar, he had meticulously described the weather on every single day of that calendar year, creating a detailed collection of weather data that covered twelve years.
While researching the weather, Aliki van der Kruijs discovered that rainfall in the Netherlands since the 1950s has increased by around 4% due to climate change. But the only way to display this change is by weather charts, satellite images and graphs.
Aliki van der Kruijs says: “The rainfall itself is an immaterial event that cannot be archived, only remembered.”
Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyles including sustainable and green living. She also offers content services to businesses and individuals at Rosamedea.com
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