Unlocking Our Inner Artists

This week, CIEE Paris Fashion and Design Global Navigators participated in a variety of hands-on workshops. Each activity gave them the opportunity to embrace the artists within themselves. 

Up first was the Street Art Workshop, where students learned and created their own murals. Street art has a long history in Paris and decorates walls and buildings all throughout the city. While at first glance it may seem easy, there are many different techniques one must learn to become a true street artist. Thanks to a very skilled teacher and guide, students learned the most essential techniques and were able to give them a try. 

“It was very new and fun for me,” says Kimari Grayer,  “and I’m definitely hoping to try it again with my friends when I get home.” 

The end result: two beautiful murals based on a French word or phrase that reflect both the creative vision of each individual artist and the true collective power of teamwork. 

The second artistic activity of the week was the clothing dyeing workshop, wherein students learned how natural plants and dyes can be used to create beautiful garments and textiles.

 In the heart of Paris lies a secret garden of plants and flowers. Rather than growing plants all year round thanks to greenhouses and artificial light, this garden follows the natural cycle of the seasons.

During the workshop, students foraged their own flowers from that very garden and created intricate designs on white cotton t-shirts. They then used rubber mallets to pound the flowers into the fiber of the fabric. Once the pressed flower was removed, an imprint remained. 

Each student took a different approach to their design: some opted for a chaotic collage, while others arranged intricate patterns. No matter the artistic choice, each and every student left the workshop with a wearable work of art sourced straight from a Parisian garden.