Wednesday 30 March 2022

‘inside:outside’ inspiration and construction

 

The Tansa exhibition of miniature works at the Crafts Study Centre has just ended and I’ve now repacked my work ‘inside:outside’ for its journey to Japan and a new exhibition at Gallery Gallery in Kyoto from 23 April to 8 May. The piece was inspired during a textile research visit to Japan by the atmosphere of contemplation in many temples and gardens. It also reflects the Japanese sensibility of ‘shin gyo so’ which can broadly be expressed as the juxtaposition of the realistic, the impressionistic and the abstract. This little sculpture reflects the abstract aspect of the theme and is a representation of a corner of a temple roof. It is constructed from a flat piece of bobbin lace manipulated to form the three-dimensional shape. This method of construction aims to suggest that the inside and the outside of these areas of peace are indistinguishable and interdependent. The image shows the flat lace and the final manipulated construction.

Wednesday 23 March 2022

Bobbin lace doily project

 

It’s so nice to have some bobbins back on the pillow and be making bobbin lace again. The last couple of projects I’ve done have involved needle run lace on net which have been interesting and allowed me to work on a large scale but it is lovely to be using some of my bobbins again. It also marks a return to my subversive lace project after a break to produce work for the Tansa exhibition inspired by a textile research trip to Japan, which I’ve blogged about recently. This doily is one in a series that subverts the traditional idea of doilies being comforting domestic items made for the home using undervalued craft techniques. This doily has a mind of its own and a message for those who belittle it.

Friday 18 March 2022

Four cloth based works from the Tansa miniatures exhibition

 

These four miniature works were all inspired by a textile research trip to Japan and form part of an exhibition at the Crafts Study Centre in Farnham. One of the highlights of the research trip was a visit to the studio of Jun Tomita www.juntomita.com and for this exhibition he has woven this beautiful piece entitled ‘P. Kasuri No. 237’ which is subtly shaded and folded to reveal the patterns within it.

‘Fleeting impressions’ by Gina Pierce www.ginapiercedesign.co.uk recalls the myriad experiences of the research trip and the layers of memories that remain and continue to inspire.

Chika Ohgi was our guide to the town of Arimatsu, its museum and shibori workshops. This piece ‘Twisted checked pattern’ recalls that day and uses the technique of ita-jime shibori to produce the check patterned cloth which is twisted to form new shapes.

Another highlight of the tour was a visit to the workshop of Yasumasa Komiya, a Living National Treasure, where we saw him and his son carrying out the painstaking Edo Komon stencil printing process. For this exhibition Yasumasa Komiya exhibits three squares of precious dyed cloth that reveal intricate pattern stories when seen close up. The work is entitled ‘Kobukusa presentation cloth’ referencing the precious squares of cloth used in the tea ceremony.

There’s still time to see the exhibition ‘Tansa – Japanese threads of influence’ which runs until 26 March at the Crafts Study Centre, Farnham, and then travels to Gallery Gallery in Kyoto.

Wednesday 16 March 2022

Three small sculptures from the Tansa miniatures exhibition

 

These three miniatures were all inspired by a textile research trip to Japan and form part of an exhibition at the Crafts Study Centre in Farnham. Suzumi Noda’s ‘Korizato Rock Candy’ references a quote from the Japanese writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa comparing the French author Maupassant to ice and rock candy. The Japanese kanji characters for korizato are ice, sand and sugar and korizato is a rock crystal sugar candy known as Rock Candy.

‘Facets’ by Reiko Sudo www.nuno.com is inspired by the lapidary finishing of gemstones. It shows the warps and wefts of fabric combining to determine how light reflects, refracts or is absorbed in the same way as the faceting and polishing of gemstones.

‘Inversion’ by Beverly Ayling-Smith www.beverlyaylingsmith.com was informed by a visit to the Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum where we saw bundles of gold leaf papers wrapped with leather. In this piece Beverly wraps thin sheets of lead in paper embellished with gold leaf inverting the idea of the wrapping being less valuable than the contents.

There’s still time to see the exhibition ‘Tansa – Japanese threads of influence’ which runs until 26 March at the Crafts Study Centre, Farnham, and then travels to Gallery Gallery in Kyoto.

Monday 14 March 2022

Some miniature cubes in the Tansa exhibition

These four miniature textile pieces in the Tansa exhibition are all based on a cube form and like all the pieces in the exhibition were inspired by a research trip to Japan. ‘Beyond blue’ by Janice Gunner www.janicegunner.co.uk is inspired particularly by Indigo Blue. Janice combines vintage and contemporary shibori, which we saw in Arimatsu, with her own interpretations, to pay tribute to the textile heritage of Japan. The inclusion of gold Mizuhiki cord in the work references the gold leaf artisans of Kanazawa.

Noriko Matsumoto’s ‘Organic cube’ is the result of a collaboration with an organic cotton company that aims at zero waste. Noriko aims to represent our co-existence and co-prosperity with the ichimatu, which is an auspicious pattern in Japan @norikoweaver.

‘Beyond duality’ by Peta Jacobs www.petajacobs.com was inspired by two illuminated experiences from the research trip. First the flood-lit Yukuzuri rope structures that protect the trees in the Kenrokuen Garden in Kanasawa and second the immersive interactive Borderless exhibition by team-Lab which reconfigured experiences of space, time and light.

‘Apollo’ by Yasuko Fujino @y.f.weaving is named for the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing but expresses a desire to create something tangible from the ineffable. Yasuko says that the starting point of the work is a need ‘to create something in front of me that is not already here, and make it real’.

There’s still time to see the exhibition ‘Tansa – Japanese threads of influence’ which runs until 26 March at the Crafts Study Centre, Farnham, and then travels to Gallery Gallery in Kyoto.