Fish Skin Tanning
Virtual Workshop with Janey Chang
Learn the process of transforming raw fish skins into a beautiful, durable textile that can be used to make clothing, pouches, wallets, footwear, art and anything you would use leather for.
In this two part class, explore tea tanning using things you will find around your home. Participants will learn everything they need to know to have their own Home Tannery!
You are encouraged to work along side Janey in order to get the most out of the class.
NOTE: This class is two sessions and will be held virtually on Zoom. You will receive a link after you register. Participants are also welcome to take notes during the workshop but please note that an e-booklet will be sent out to all participants after the first workshop on Feb 20, 2021.
Dates: February 20 and February 27, 2021 (It’s a two-part workshop!)
Times: February 20 10:00AM – 12:00PM, February 27 10:00AM - 12:30PM
Platform: Zoom (Information about how to connect will be sent to participants prior to the event)
Price: $90 for non-members and $85 for MOV members and Indigenous Peoples*
*Please call 604-736-4431 during MOV business hours to obtain a $5 discount code if you are an MOV Member or Indigenous.
Supplies needed (Participants are required to buy their own materials prior to the workshop):
1. A fish skin or more (from at least a fillet of fish). Salmon, halibut, cod, etc. Take care when skinning to keep in one piece with no holes.
2. Something to scrape with: a tablespoon, seashells with smooth edges, mason jar lid
3. Dish soap
4. Bowls for washing and rinsing
5. Rag, hand towel or apron
6. Paint scraper or old debit card
7. Cutting board
8. Oil (coconut, bacon fat, margarine, etc.)
9. Black tea...a box of Tetley, Red Rose, or any other old black tea you have lurking around
10. Quart sized jar or equivalent (for tanning solution)
Janey Chang is an Artist, Maker, Outdoor Experiential Educator, Community Facilitator and Mother on a path to remembering how to be human and alive through the (re)learning of ancestral skills. She is a first generation Chinese Canadian woman living on beautiful Skwxwú7mesh and Tsleil-Waututh Territory at the foot of the mountains and close to the ocean. Her main art form is fish skin leather, where she gives new life to salmon skins that are destined for waste from the restaurant industry. Learning this ancient skill has helped to connect her to her Chinese heritage as well as to K’emk’emelay, the land she now calls home. This passion has evolved into her livelihood, and she has had the honour of teaching fish leather classes to many, including indigenous communities who have distant memories of this old ancestral skill. During the pandemic, she has taken an even deeper dive into the art of making fish skin leather and to teaching classes virtually to local and international audiences.
