Hi, my name is Lizane.
I am a visual artist
based in Berlin.
I work as a photographer,
journalist and designer.
I am a multimedia journalist, photographer, and designer dedicated to exploring and documenting the intersection of travel, culture, and the environment. My work addresses critical issues such as climate change, global warming, and sustainable living through storytelling, visual documentation, and design.
Throughout my extensive travels in Asia, Europe, and Africa, I have documented the significant impacts of human activities on our planet. My long-term projects focus on environmental preservation, the human condition, and the urgent need for climate action. Through these narratives, I aim to inspire awareness, foster dialogue, and encourage sustainable practices.
I am working on an art photography series and a sustainable design project highlighting heritage textile crafts in India and beyond. These projects celebrate traditional craftsmanship while advocating for sustainable and ethical design practices.
I invite you to join me on this visual journey in sharing these essential stories. Together, we can create awareness, drive impactful change, and share the critical importance of sustainability for our future.
Current Focus:
A Visual Research Journey in Colour, History, and Design
A History in Colour
Patterns, Pigments, and Prints
In block print studios in Bagru, India, the earthy scent of natural dyes and mud hangs thick in the air. Master block printers, their hands trained through stories told by their parents and skills handed down from their ancestors, work with focus. Masterworks are created on organic textiles with plant-based dyes, organic inks, and mud.
The tap-tap sound of the blocks pressed down on the fabric becomes meditative as the artists create textile art with rhythmic precision. The blocks, crafted by master artisans, are dipped into dyes with experienced and wrinkled hands, transferring intricate designs onto textiles.
Block printing is more than just a textile art; these block makers and textile artists are living history. This community speaks a language with patterns, pigments, and designs.
I witnessed a textile art that has a history stretching back centuries across Asia. In 2025, I will return to India to continue the project, learn about more printing techniques, continue my visual research and, of course, write more stories.
Artisans work in a traditional block printing workshop in India, soaking and dyeing fabrics in large vats and water baths. Block printing and dyeing involve multiple steps, including preparing the cloth, printing and dyeing it with various colours, washing it, and ensuring the dye is set. Each stage requires meticulous attention and skill, highlighting the artisans’ dedication and expertise. This vibrant and labour-intensive craft is integral to India’s rich textile heritage. Photo by Lizane Louw
Māya I Textiles & Design
We launched Māya, the sustainable textile line of my studio, in the middle of 2024. I am excited to share the stories of our print projects, the master craftsmen I work with, and my creative projects with our growing community here in Berlin.
Discover Māya’s mission with our workshops in Berlin
I want to introduce Māya, where art and design meet sustainability. As the sustainable textile line of my studio, Māya is dedicated to preserving traditional craftsmanship, championing eco-conscious and ethical practices, and fostering meaningful community connections through sustainable design. Every textile piece we create and print tells a story of heritage and creativity inspired by the rich textile traditions of India and beyond.
In Berlin, Māya’s workshops bring our mission for this textile line to life. These hands-on sessions introduce sustainable textile design, from learning about the history of heritage textile crafts to block printing and explorations with eco-friendly inks to innovative surface print techniques. 2025, we will expand our research into natural dyes and more experimental surface design. Each of our workshops is more than a creative arty experience—it’s an opportunity to learn, connect, and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Follow along to explore my ongoing textile research and design process, or join us for a workshop here in Berlin to craft your own stories, celebrate heritage, and be part of a growing community dedicated to mindful design.
We will be heading to Portugal and South Africa soon!
Follow along and be part of this growing community as we develop this project @ateliermaya.eu.
The Studio I Art Photo Gallery and Printshop
Studio Stories
A Social Journey
I am the owner of The Studio Art Photo Gallery and Printshop; we do print drops of limited and open-edition prints of the work I create on my photography expeditions and road trips—join our adventures on the studio pages online.
For fine art prints, licensing of images, or to inquire about multimedia and design projects, get in contact with me by email at lizane@lizanelouw.com.
The work in our art photogallery is timeless, classic and unique, with a contemporary twist.
Visit our print shop at studiolizanelouw.com
Exploring the Art of Nature, Colour and Craft
@lizanelouw on Instagram
My photography, visual research, writing, and design work are deeply rooted in storytelling, sustainability, and my love for the natural world and art. In early 2024, I immersed myself in the rich textile traditions of Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. I journeyed through the tea regions of Darjeeling, creating a vibrant body of work I am currently editing. These experiences inspired more research into the origins of colour, natural dyes, textiles and surface print techniques—stories I can’t wait to share.
Through my Berlin-based textile and design atelier, ateliermaya.eu, I bring this evolving knowledge to life. Under the textile line Māya, we offer workshops that serve as spaces for creativity and connection, where participants explore sustainable textile design, block printing, and the timeless beauty of handmade crafts.
Join me on Instagram, where I’ll share inspiring stories, videos, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of my research, workshops, and creative projects. Let’s explore the print arts, textiles, colour, and design together.
Follow along on social:
@lizanelouw –My personal journey as a photographer, journalist, and designer.
@ateliermaya.eu –Explore the sustainable textiles and workshops of Māya
@studiolizanelouw –Learn about my deep love for photography and see my growing collection of fine art prints and textile work.
Featured written work:
Discovering Bagru.
The Timeless Art Of Indian Block Printing
by Lizane Louw
In a rustic Dabu print studio, two women are engaged in their work. The small space is filled with the earthy scent of dust, mud and dyes. With a burned red scarf covering her head, a young woman holds up a large piece of mud-printed cloth.
To her right, another woman sits cross-legged on the dusty floor, folding block-printed textiles dyed in tones of dark terracotta.
Surrounding the two artisans are stacks of fabrics in natural and earthy hues. The walls, lined with tools of their trade, hint at the rich cultural heritage and time-honoured techniques passed down by their ancestors.
This image captures the enduring legacy of Rajasthan's textile craftsmanship and highlights the beauty and cultural significance printed into each piece of fabric.
Photo by Lizane Louw
A master printer leans over a length of fabric, carefully pressing a wooden block to imprint intricate designs. The tranquil, blue-walled workshop, with its sunlit windows and rustic charm, provides a serene backdrop for this age-old craft.
Each deliberate movement demonstrates his expertise, a skill passed down through generations. Surrounded by tools and the rhythm of the blocks, this workshop reflects the enduring beauty of Bagru's textile traditions.
Photo by Lizane Louw
Discover Bagru: Rajasthan’s Timeless Printing Village
Embark on a journey to Bagru, a storied printers' community in Rajasthan where the ancient art of block printing still thrives today.
Read about this hand-printing craft's rich history and cultural heritage and meet the master artisans who bring their work to life with natural dyes and intricate designs. Explore the living museum that is Bagru and experience the enduring beauty of this extraordinary heritage textile craft.
Read: Discovering Bagru: The Timeless Art O fIndian Block Printing by Lizane Louw
Framing Time: Kolmanskop Through My Lens – A Photographic Travelogue.
by Lizane Louw
A time capsule in the desert. Kolmanskop’s ghostly beauty beckons explorers to witness its beauty and decay. Photo Lizane Louw
From glory to desert dust: Kolmanskop’s silent descent into the Namib. Photo Lizane Louw
Discover the captivating history of Kolmanskop, a mining village with a colonial legacy. Experience this abandoned desert outpost's surreal beauty through a photographer's lens. This is a story about an epic, unplanned Southern African adventure.
Read: Framing Time: Kolmanskop Through My Lens – A Photographic Travelogue by Lizane Louw