Ampela

Let gesture breathe life into matter

We are weavers, dyers and embroiderers. Every day, we deploy a wide range of techniques to reinvent the textile heritage of the Highlands of Madagascar, drawing on what the living world provides.

Wild silk, cotton canvas, leather, raffia fibre, dye plants, glass and Bohemian beads are our working materials. We use them to create, embellish and shape cloth in the service of creative minds and their finest objects.

At the needle on our embroidery frames, in our dye baths, in the crossing of warp and weft, each gesture acts upon inert matter to elevate it — giving it life, colour, movement and sheen. From raw and scattered fibre, we work through to finished cloth and mounted textile objects. From scattered, inert materials, we compose unity.

Embroidery

In silk, cotton and raffia thread, with beads, crystals and sequins, we bring motif, relief and narrative into cloth.

Weaving

On traditional looms, from natural fibres, we weave fabrics that range from the rawest to the most delicate.

Natural dyes

From leaves, bark, roots and flowers, through water and fire, we draw the colours that awaken our fibres and our cloth.

Signature pieces

Discover our work