Artists Oladotun Amu, Olutoyosi Oyelowo, Alexandra Ihwa Harder, and Kenn Pann collaborated with Oko Farms, a Black-owned aquaponics farm and education organization in Brooklyn, on a community clothing restoration project. The artists spent time on knowledge-building, learning fiber and natural dye techniques that are often endangered, deriving from the artists’ collective ancestral traditions. They led workshops in the community to share knowledge where participants could learn how to spin cotton and dye textiles, providing a resource that would often otherwise be cost-prohibitive. Oladotun worked on a documentary film exploring the preservation and reinterpretation of fiber and natural dye techniques, traveling to Africa and Indonesia to do so. Through their work, the artists helped to advocate for those involved in textile traditions, while shedding light on issues surrounding climate change.

Oko Farms’ mission is to promote aquaponics as an ecological farming method that mitigates the impact of climate change and increases food security for urban residents while demystifying aquaponics through awareness and education.