About the School: Internationality 7 | Interviews with Graduates

-Making things by hand in a space that connects the bistro with weaving-　Patricia Schoeneck

The Internationality segment of a series introducing Kawashima Textile School (KTS). We are bringing you interviews with graduates from all over the world who have various relationships with weaving. In this 7th part of the series, we asked Patricia how she came to study at the school from our partner school in Sweden, her impressions of the school, and as a bistro owner, how weaving exists in her everyday life, and what her job at the bistro has in common with weaving from a perspective of making things by hand.

Patricia Schoeneck (Swedish)

Owner of a bistro

Currently living in Sweden

Courses: Foundation Kasuri, Applied Kasuri I (May to June 2012), Applied Kasuri II, III* (October to November 2013) as a foreign exchange student from Handarbetets Vänner Skola

*now part of Applied Kasuri II

-Could you tell us why you chose to study at KTS?

The school HV (Handarbetets Vänner Skola) where I did my weaving studies is a partner school with Kawashima and that was my first way in to discover Kawashima. As I read about the school I felt that it was a wonderful place to study and explore traditional but also modern handcraft in the field of weaving and dyeing techniques.

The atmosphere at Kawashima both impressed and inspired me. The atmosphere of taking creation, craft, and textile extremely seriously. It made no sound, it needed not, it was just there led by teachers and accompanied by the students.

-You first studied at KTS in 2012 and came back to continue studying kasuri after 1.5 years.
You wove a large work by yourself at home by combining the techniques you learned at KTS. Did you find any new points of views? You might have found something that you want to learn more clearly, by leaving once in terms of place and time. Perhaps, such a sense of distance may lead to your current lifestyle between working at a bistro and weaving.

Both at Kawashima and in Sweden I had so many ideas and visions about things I wanted to create. Since both dyeing and weaving are pretty time consuming it is not possible to realize every big idea that was growing in my head. I think, when looking back, I had to complete a big work first in order to start making smaller works, samples. And working like that enabled me to create and realize more of my visions. Now in my current lifestyle I might be leaning towards both ways of practicing weaving and creating in general. Since running a bistro takes almost all my time I need to have small/short textile work that is realistic for me to complete but I also need a big over-years-lasting work that I can return to whenever I have some time left.

-How has your experience at KTS influenced you?

It gave me patience and confidence in my ability to succeed towards my visions within weaving, dyeing and overall projects in life.

-How do you use the skills learnt at KTS in your career, life, etc?

I try not to rush, I source to take away unnecessary work or objects that risk to stand in conflict with my final goals or visions.

Elfviks Gård Bistro

-Could you tell us the background of renting an atelier, starting to work at a bistro, and then becoming the owner? Perhaps this lifestyle works well for you, as a mother of a small child?

Both the atelier and the bistro are situated in the countryside at a sheep farm. I love nature and old buildings so when I one summer day found that place I knew I wanted to work there. As weaving is hard to make money off of, I had to find other ways to be able to earn my living, especially because my partner and I wanted to become parents soon. So when the former owner of the bistro wanted to leave, I said I could take over. Soon after that our son was born. It is a lovely way to live, although it is very hard and means a lot of work, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

-From the view of creating things by hand, your bistro job and weaving seems to be related somehow. Do you feel that way?

My bistro job and weaving are related in several ways I think. They are both hard works, takes a lot of time, a lot of unreflected time when you just do what you have to do to accomplish what you started, but they also consist of and start with an idea, a thought, or just a feeling. I bake a lot of buns, cakes, and cookies, and I feel, just as repeatedly that it is, still, satisfaction. Because every once in a while or very often I get the same feeling that weaving gives me. For example, running the bistro is like working with my hands, having something in front of me, a lot of routine, making the same things over and over again, but also here and then, as twinkling stars, the feelings of creation appear and kicks in right to my heart, just like weaving.

-What does weaving mean to you?

At this moment weaving has a small part in my physical day to day life. I run my bistro everyday, with all the work that comes along. But my weaving studio is situated just above the bistro, and every once in a week I go up to the attic and enter the studio and breathe, deep breaths. I know that in a short future of time I will be working there again. Until then I inhale the wonderful scent of fibers and loom and dream about my next textile project.

Visit the Elfviks Gård website or follow Patricia on instagram at @patriciaschoeneck and @elfviksgardsbistro.

Patricia's "Student Voice" article from 2013, with photos of her work in the KTS Graduate Exhibition.

About the School: Internationality Series 1/2/3/4/5/6

About the School: Internationality 6 | Interviews with Graduates

-Looking at the fusion of cultures, and exploring the possibilities of weaving spaces-　Rosa Tolnov Clausen

The Internationality segment of a series introducing Kawashima Textile School (KTS). Over four weeks starting from Part 4, we are bringing you interviews with graduates from all over the world who have various relationships with weaving. In this 6th part of the series, in addition to how she came to learn at KTS, what influenced her, how she uses the skills she learned, and what weaving means to her, we asked Rosa Tolnov Clausen about the idea of practicing a completely different approach to seeing weaving as a space, and her motive behind holding the workshop "Everything I Know About Kasuri," instead of weaving her own piece, which is what is usually done as the final project at KTS.

The Weaving Kiosk project. A series of nine temporary weaving spaces 2017-18 in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. Photo: Johannes Romppanen

Rosa Tolnov Clausen (Danish)
Textile designer and PhD student
Currently living in Sweden and Finland
Courses: Foundation Kasuri, Applied Kasuri I, II, III*
(October to December 2013)

*now part of Applied Kasuri II

-Could you tell us why you chose to study at KTS?

I already knew about Kawashima Textile School. I cannot completely remember from where. But I was definitely aware that my friend Johanna was at KTS in the previous year and I knew that I also wanted to go. I saw a stay at KTS as a perfect opportunity to visit Japan and at the same time to get practical insight into the Kasuri technique. I had already been interested in Kasuri for a while and had made a research project about it during a school exchange to Aalto University in Finland in 2012. As a matter of a fact Finland has a Kasuri tradition as well, but in Finland it is called Flammé (Flame). Finnish weavers have used very simple Kasuri variations in different folkloristic costumes. But Flammé is to my knowledge not taught anywhere in Finland. Studying at KTS offered the possibility to go to Japan for a longer period of time and gain some insight in Japanese textile traditions and be introduced to practitioners in the field.

-How has your experience at KTS influenced you?

Being part of the environment at KTS and being in Kyoto was an incredibly stimulating experience for me, which I still draw on in my work.

I did a quite alternative project at KTS, which was about cultural exchange and aesthetic development, but departing from weaving. Basically I invited people in Kyoto for a pop-up Kasuri workshop called “Everything I know about Kasuri.” The idea was to use the Kasuri technique as a catalyst for cultural exchange. Arguing for the project, receiving the trust and support from the teachers at KTS and actually conducting the project in Kyoto, have definitely meant increased confidence in my ideas, which has affected most of my projects since.

Flammé textile sample from the collection of Dräktbyrån Brage, Helsinki.
Photo: Rosa Tolnov Clausen

-Was your decision to hold a workshop as a final project at KTS connected to your previous experience to create spaces and/or teach to share with people? Could you tell us your thoughts behind the idea of creating spaces?

When I came to KTS I had just graduated from the Master’s programme as textile designer from Kolding School of Design in Denmark. My graduation project in Denmark was a collaboration and co-design project with blind and visually impaired weavers. Through that project I became aware how the weaving space in addition to being a productive space, also holds other meanings for the people who weave, for example as a social space to be among others and as a physical, material and creative space in an increasingly digitalised world. It has been my interest since then to explore these additional meanings of the weaving space through my projects.

When I came to Japan and especially Kyoto, I was so fascinated by the presence of handcraft in urban space. When I walked around, I saw professional craftsmen sew, weave, hammer etc. as a completely natural part of a highly modern and digitalised urban landscape. It felt like the handmade and the digital could co-exist. Furthermore there were textile workshops open for participation around the different cities I visited. People were printing, knitting and weaving.

Lastly I had this almost physical feeling of aesthetic development taking place in and around me. I myself was inspired and influenced by the Japanese culture and fashion, and at the same time I could see many Japanese people and brands being inspired by the Nordic/Scandinavian culture. We interpret each other and the outcome are fusions, which are not completely Nordic or Japanese, but something new.

These were the impressions and the background that the “Everything I know about Kasuri” workshop grew out from. I wanted to create a textile workshop in urban space, which could serve as a moment of cultural meetings and exchange.

-Were there any points you were careful about,culturally,with aspects as a foreigner teaching another country’s tradition?

Yes, certainly I was very aware and very, very careful of not claiming to teach Japanese people about Japanese culture as a Dane, having only spent three months in Japan. That was why the workshop was called “Everything I know about Kasuri” and not “Everything there is to know about Kasuri.” I did not want to pretend to be an expert after only two months of education. Also, when I gave the introduction to the participants in the workshop I emphasized the Finnish history, which I knew better and which would maybe add something the participants did not know.

Everything I Know About Kasuri workshop in Kyoto in December 2013. 
Photo: Kohei Usuda

-Could you tell us more on how your confidence increased through your workshop experience,and how it has affected you afterwards?

Based on all these impressions that I describe above, I had a very strong intuition that a workshop would be the right project as a final project at KTS. But maybe because it was such a different approach from weaving my own work and/or maybe because of the risk of overstepping cultural borders in an inappropriate way, not all the teachers were completely convinced about my idea. I was asked to create a time plan of how this project could be realized. I did that and then I got an OK from the teachers and they helped me very much in the planning process and for example when I had to find supplies or make contact with somebody.

Teachers and students from KTS came by the workshop. All in all the experience of following a gut feeling, trusting it and working hard to realize a vision in a foreign context and then succeeding, I felt, gave me a lot of confidence both when it comes to trusting my ideas, but also when it comes to trusting that I am able to do what I set my mind to.

-Has your experience at KTS influenced you in your academic and professional career? If so,could you describe how?

I think mostly in the sense described above concerning self-confidence. Furthermore, though my first visit at KTS and in Japan, I developed many private and professional relationships that have helped me very much and made it much easier to come back to Japan both in 2015 and two times in 2017. In 2017 I was invited to host a series of workshops in 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa in 2017 in occasion of the celebration of 150 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Denmark and former KTS student Kanako Watanabe and Tokyo based photographer Kohei Usuda really supported me very much.

-What does weaving mean to you?

My relationship with weaving is constantly changing. When I started weaving I felt something fall in place. It was fun and I felt that I was good at it. Over time it has become my way of living and is part of everything I do in my profession. Today I mostly create spaces where other people can weave, rather than my own textiles, but I imagine that this will even change over the coming years.

Export/import workshop at 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, in 2017.
Photo: Kohei Usuda

You can visit Rosa's website at rosatolnovclausen.com

About the School: Internationality Series 1/2/3/4/5

A Look into Our Classes 5 "Reeling Silk Thread from Cocoons"

We will introduce some of the classes from the Professional Course at Kawashima Textile School (published irregularly).

Mr. Honda reeling silk thread from the cocoons

For Hyôgenron (Creative Expression) class, we invited Yuji Honda of Honda Silk Works, for the students to experience silk thread making. The class started with boiling a pot of water. The class proceeded with a rhythm similar to cooking, such as boiling the cocoons, turning off the heat, and waiting for a few minutes. It is a rare opportunity to learn the entire process, from boiling the cocoons, zaguri, which is to reel the thread, to making a skein.

In the class, the students first tried making kiito. They were able to see "kibiso," which is the harder thread the silkworm first spews out, and also made "mawata." The mawata they tried was "kakumawata," which is made by soaking the cocoons, which have become small without the kiito, and spread out by pulling on the corners. The students' hands were timid at first, but were boosted by Mr. Honda's words. "Even if you pull tightly, they won't break." When the thread spread out smoothly into a square, cheers rose. Mr. Honda showed the completed form made of twenty layers, and the students felt the texture, commenting on its softness. 

While working, Mr. Honda talked about various things such as the habits of the silkworm, cultivating mulberries, and the amount of work as a livelihood. The pupae in the cocoons start to appear. By actually witnessing this, many questions about silkworms were asked by the students. Mr. Honda says that at first, the silk thread and the existence of the "insect" did not connect in his mind. He was surprised at the scene of the cocoon making site, where silkworms were bred, and was shocked, and thought, "so this is the origin!"

He said that at the site, he "felt conflicted about killing insects and making thread." As he continued to face that fact, he came to think that he is "receiving life to make clothing, like meat or fish," and that the feeling of people and insects connecting, by cherishing the insects and the thread they spew out, should not be forgotten," and began making things with respect to the origin.

At the end of the class, the same number of pupae as the threads drawn, appeared. "From now on, when you see silk, you will be reminded of the silkworms," Mr. Honda said. "I learned for the first time that silk has many expressions. Usually, we only have the opportunity to see them as thread," a student commented. The class turned out to be a time where students were able to experience the origin, and learn the process of silk reeling.




-What does weaving mean to you?
"Something that can express how interesting silk thread is."

"I originally liked clothes. I moved to agriculture, then after I encountered sericulture (silk farming), I started to do everything from thread making to weaving. My current job is to make things from the beginning, and do everything I love. I am completely absorbed in thread making, and am excited about the wide range of possibilities, such as how you can see the expressions of various threads from the cocoons, how easily it takes dye, and how the texture changes depending on how it is scoured, and so on. I think weaving is something that can express how interesting silk thread is. "


About Yuji Honda
Yuji Honda started sericulture and weaving with his wife in 2009 upon meeting a silk farmer in Chichibu, Saitama. He moved to Kyoto in 2016, and after two years of training in weaving at Jun Tomita Textile Studio, became independent in 2018 and started Honda Silk Works. They make and sell handwoven shawls using threads that are reeled from cocoons, dyed with natural dyes, and threads that are made from cotton with a strong twist.

instagram: @hondasilkworks

About the School: Internationality 5 | Interviews with Graduates

-From an indigo workshop in Thailand to KTS, making in a way that suits the land and lifestyle-　Zazima Asavesna 

The Internationality segment of a series introducing Kawashima Textile School (KTS). Over four weeks starting from Part 4, we are bringing you interviews with graduates from all over the world who have various relationships with weaving, where we ask about how they came to learn at KTS, what influenced them, how they use the skills they have learned, and what weaving means to them. This is Part 5 of the series.

"At the previous family indigo workshop in Sakon-nakhon where I first learned about indigo vat dye. The Indian indigo (indigofera tinctoria) is local to the area, they were planted, harvested, and made into indigo paste here. These small earthen jars contain indigo vat dye, normally a small skein of yarn can be dyed once or twice a day per jar."

Zazima Asavesna (Thai/German)

Textile artist, Natural dyer, Designer & maker of a small apparel business

Currently living in Thailand

Courses: Beginners, Foundation Kasuri, Applied Kasuri I 

(May to June 2013)

-Could you tell us why you chose to study at KTS?

I started my career life as a small animals veterinarian , got married and moved to my husband’s hometown in Sakon-nakhon, where the family had been practicing natural indigo vat dye for over 20 years. There, I got the chance to learn about natural dyeing and tried my hands at indigo and other natural dye dyeing which later led me to the interest of textile weaving. My first experience of weaving on a floor loom was led by a few local artisan women who were so kind and very pleased to share their knowledge with me. There were absolutely no theories, I just copied what I see.

After that experience, I had so many questions and I was eager to know about the possibilities of weaving, so I started to look for a place to learn how to weave. Without knowing if a weaving school really existed anywhere on earth, I accidentally found KTS on the internet. I knew right away this is the place I am looking for. The school was located in one of my favourite towns I’ve ever been to, plus a wonderful location near nature, not so far from the city, where Japanese culture/contemporary art and lifestyles also took place. I was so excited to get to know more about the principle of weaving, the Japanese weaving tradition and also excited about the small international students community where there is a chance to get to know people from different backgrounds and weaving traditions.

-How has your experience at KTS influenced you?

Being surrounded by a group of textile enthusiasts of different ages really inspired me. Our energy was exchanged, I felt connected and welcomed to the world of textile weaving regardless of my past and background. Not only engaging with international classmates, I also made friends and secretly observed the long term talented Japanese students who are working on their amazing projects next door and upstairs. I was mostly amazed by the Tapestry class taking place in the 2nd floor atelier. It was the very first time I ever saw a tapestry being woven from a cartoon (draft) in real life.

Being a self-taught artist, KTS gave me the confidence to weave, the confidence to start learning and seeking new knowledge in life. After that spring I decided I want to seriously weave and was determined to make time and plans for my future so that I can spend time on my weaving projects and make a living out of it.

Tiny tapestry portrait #014 (left) #016 (right) (2020)

“My first solo exhibition at Ranlao Bookshop Chiangmai, Thailand in 2018. The concept was about self exploration of feelings in the era of social media. The exhibition displayed 6 pieces of handwoven textile made with traditional floor loom and tapestry frame loom. All of them were dyed with my favourite natural dye, indigo. The technique seen in this photo is a stencil dyeing technique using rice paste."

-How do you use the skills learnt at KTS in your career, life, etc?

I often work with local natural materials such as cotton, hemp and locally harvested natural dyestuffs. In my early years, my work involved dyeing a piece of simple plain weave cloth with a resist-dyeing technique. For me, weaving plain weave is quite stressful because it is the most simple form of weaving which easily shows a lack of skill of the weaver.

I don’t own a western loom so I kind of adapted the knowledge to what I have. With my loom (Isaan traditional floor loom), I aimed for the same results such as even warp tension, nice and even edges, how to fix the broken warp neatly etc. keeping in mind “Anybody can weave, but not everyone can weave a beautiful textile” the concept my awesome teacher shared with me at KTS. It reminds me that I should try to improve my skill whenever I can.

My personal belief is that the efforts and skills you put into the textile you are weaving is as important as the imagination or the ideas behind it. Art and craft doesn’t have to separate itself from each other. I have been wanting to learn tapestry weaving so badly for the past few years but never got the chance, so 2 years ago I made myself a nail loom from a canvas frame and started learning by myself. A year later I discovered that I really enjoy weaving tiny human portraits (some may have embroidery details added) and since then I have been continuing doing so. Tapestry was not the skill I earned from KTS, but I know in my mind it all started from there.

-What does weaving mean to you?

Weaving is like a journey into myself, a self exploration. By sitting there and repeating the body movements, instead of traveling with your body, your mind travels. Physically I am trying to find the balance of my body rhythm.In many occasions It allows me to explore my thoughts, my emotions and feelings. Sometimes I feel like I am in a battle, a battle with things that will constantly go wrong. Whatever the result will be, you have to accept it.

""Isaan floor loom"
The loom is an old traditional loom made of hardwood by a local carpenter. It originally belonged to an old lady who passed away, then was passed on to another weaver who used it as a spare loom before it was left unused. The reed, heddles, shafts, and treadles are attached to the loom with ropes and bamboo sticks. The tension is made by tying the warp into a knot directly to the loom and manually released and pulled by hands.

Follow Zazima on instagram at @zazieandherloom and @wildinstagram.

Zazima's "Student Voice" article from 2014, with photos of her work in the KTS Graduate Exhibition.

About the School: Internationality Series 1/2/3/4

About the School: Internationality 4 | Interviews with Graduates

 -From being an industrial designer to a student at KTS, then at a postgraduate school in the UK-    Tiffany Loy

The Internationality segment of a series introducing Kawashima Textile School (KTS). KTS is widely known throughout the weaving community overseas as a school where people can learn handweaving. KTS had opened its doors internationally since the very beginning, and the reputation as being a school in Kyoto where one can acquire reliable handweaving skills spread gradually by word of mouth from the participants. Over four weeks starting from Part 4, we will bring you interviews with graduates from all over the world who have various relationships with weaving, where we ask about how they came to learn at KTS, what influenced them, how they use the skills they have learned, and what weaving means to them.

The Weaverly Way (2020)
The site-specific installation employs a weaver's approach to conceptualising and building sculpture. The piece was produced in collaboration with British heritage silk mill Gainsborough Weaving, and presented at London Craft Week 2020.

Photo: Ed Reeve

Tiffany Loy (Singaporean)

Independent designer, artist

Currently living in Singapore

Courses: Beginners, Foundation Kasuri, Applied Kasuri I, II, III* 

(May to July 2015)

*now part of Applied Kasuri II

-Could you tell us why you chose to study at KTS?

I was working with textiles as an industrial designer, when my interest for textiles grew. I wanted to take a step further and learn how textiles are constructed so I searched online for short weaving courses. Eventually I found Kawashima Textile School’s website and was impressed by the work of its graduating students, so I applied. Also, I wanted to be immersed in another culture while learning this new skill.

-How has your experience at KTS influenced you?

At the start of the course I had thought of it as a study-holiday, a fruitful 3-month getaway. The knowledge of textile construction was to be helpful for my textile-based projects in the future. I had no intention to continue weaving when I returned to Singapore, considering the amount of equipment it required. However, at the end of Applied Kauri Course III, which was coursework-based, I was confident that I could manage my own weaving projects, and was excited to take these skills further. It felt like a real pity to stop weaving at the end of the trip. I then decided to set up a mini weave studio back in Singapore and show the local design community my woven work.

"Pastiche (2018)
"Pastiche was a piece of handwoven fabric employing nassen gasuri technique. It was used as the covering for a beanbag. The 1-off piece was created for furniture brand Zanotta, as part of their 50-year anniversary celebration of their Sacco beanbag design."

-How do you use the skills learnt at KTS in your career, life, etc?

Through the courses within a 10-week period, I had gained a solid foundation of weaving and dyeing techniques which enabled further self-directed learning later on. I still refer to the notes I had taken then, when I compare methods of working. I continued to practice and expand on the skills I learnt, and incorporated them into my design projects. Shortly after my return to Singapore, I exhibited some woven tapestries at a local exhibition, and met the first client who engaged me to create woven designs for his brand. I was optimistic about my pursuit in weaving as a profession. 3 years after the course at KTS, I felt I was prepared for another learning adventure. There are no textile mills or institutions in Singapore, so to gain more technical knowledge and skills, like design for jacquard weaving, I had to go overseas again. This time I managed to secure a scholarship from DesignSingapore Council to study at the Royal College of Art in London. Taking a masters course meant that I was meeting other students who had learnt weaving elsewhere, and it was interesting to observe the differences in our approaches in weaving. Having strong foundation skills acquired at KTS allowed me to be more experimental while at RCA, since I was familiar with each step, and how changes affect overall results.

-What does weaving mean to you?

As I had received earlier training in product design before learning how to weave, I was always very aware of the differences in approaches and applications. When weaving, I feel compelled to look very closely at the project, sometimes through a counting glass, but I must also zoom out and look at the fabric as a whole surface, and object. Toggling between the 2 points of view is something I find very unique about the weaving process; there are 2 different modes of seeing. Also, weaving as a skill is by no means restricted to fabrics. To me it is a way of building, of assembling lines to form surfaces and volumes. Looking at it in this abstract way, we can apply skills related to weaving to other forms of art and design, like sculpture, or architecture.

"Lines in Space (2019)
"Lines in Space was a project completed at RCA. It's about reducing the fabric surface to minimal lines, and exploring leno weave structures."

You can visit Tiffany's website Tiffany Loy or follow her on instagram at @tffnyly

Tiffany's "Student Voice" article from 2016, with photos of her work in the KTS Graduate Exhibition.

About the School: Internationality Series 1/2/3

Visiting the Graduates: Handwoven Cloth "atelier KUSHGUL" Yasuko Terada

Once a year in the Professional Course at KTS, we hold a class led by a graduate who works in weaving. Yasuko Terada, who graduated in 2001, created her original brand "atelier KUSHGUL," and makes handwoven cloth. We visited her studio as a field trip. She talked about her relationship with handweaving, and the steps she has taken, while showing us her graduation work she made as a student, the first garment she made, weaving samples, and many products, in a space with a gallery attached to a studio.

◆ The two years at KTS where her own "sense" was found

Terada-san has a lifestyle that people who want to work in handweaving would long for, but the first thing she said was "I managed to continue handweaving while struggling, which leads me here." She became interested in soft fiber materials existing nearby, such as clothes, as she studied Architecture in her first year, and Design from her second year, at her University. She entered KTS after encountering a sculptural fiber art piece at a KTS Graduate Exhibition, and felt a shock that "directly appealed to the senses of my whole body." She says the two years at the school was "a time I faced my own senses to my heart's content," by immersing herself in weaving. The "senses" she found through that experience are "still the foundation for making cloth."

After graduation, she spent her days making, while working at a restaurant. The reason that she didn't get a job related to weaving was because she had wanted to become an artist from the beginning. "I thought that if I got a job and used my mind for weaving at work, I wouldn't be able to make my own artwork." Every month, while living a life where she somehow managed to make enough money for buying yarn, she set a goal. "I will leave my job when my hourly wage for weaving exceeds that of when I work." She started working at a job where she could work in shifts starting from 5 days a week, secured time to create at night after work, started to find her own rhythm, and moved into her current studio in 2010.

◆ Wanting to know the relationship between people and cloth, which is jostled, worn out, and thrown away in people's lives.

The foundation of Terada-san's sense which she found at KTS, is to "show expressions" with high twist yarn or different ways of weaving, and she says that leads to her products. She weaves and searches even now, still asking herself, "what is handweaving?" One of the students who tried on a hand woven vest, instantly smiled, saying "it's so soft." Terada-san explains, "By doing everything by hand, I can finish weaving the cloth without putting a strain on the yarn. A layer of air is created between the yarns, which makes it light and warm." The "expression" of the cloth of her bags, the three-dimensional effect of the umbrella fabric, shirts using Khadi (Indian hand-spun and handwoven cloth) , and scarves which are in high demand... "I want to know the relationship between people and cloth, which is jostled, worn out, and thrown away in people's lives." Terada-san pursues in earnest.

As a new initiative, she has also started to sew clothes. "In the last half-century we have become accustomed to buying ready-made clothes. But now, due to the influence of the Coronavirus, there are leftover clothes worldwide. I myself am tired of the excess of things, so I take care of every process, from weaving to sewing the clothes. The stance of making custom-made items according to each person's size, such as sleeve length, while thinking with the customer, and selling them one piece at a time, suits me well."

The kite string bag series. Wrinkles appear, and thickness and shrinkage change, from the combination of weaving structures. The main point is how much expression she can show from just using a smooth natural colored yarn.

◆ Weaving at an average of 70 cm an hour

At the studio, she showed us the 8 shaft Jack-type loom that she has been using for nearly 20 years, which she purchased at KTS after graduation. The students were surprised to see that this one loom produced various products, and finished them into fabrics with such soft textures. As a preparation for weaving, there is a step called "beaming," which is to wind the warp yarn onto the loom. Usually, this is done by two people, pulling on opposite ends, but Terada-san does this on her own. Everyone was amazed as they watched the difficult technique of stretching out her foot and turning the handle on the back beam, as she pulled the warp toward herself. "Winding neatly so the yarn doesn't break, while I keep the 90 cm wide warp at an even tension. This became possible after spending 10 years, 20 years with this loom."

A student asked about how fast she weaves. There were voices of astonishment to her reply of, "an average of 70 cm per hour." "3 hours for a 2.5 meter long large cashmere shawl. If I think about the cost of materials and such, it doesn't work as a product unless I finish weaving it within 4 hours." Terada-san has been handweaving steadily and pioneered a path for weaving that suits her. When I left my job, there were days when my stomach hurt from anxiety. But as I continued to be absorbed in it, new encounters and new plans would come in, and one thing would lead to another. Weaving takes time. I have continued to weave desperately, trying to make ends meet, but I am still moved by how I can make cloth with my own hands.

◆ A feeling that is necessary, precisely because it is analog

As advice to the students, she said, "Please face your own senses to your heart's content. I think that kind of time is necessary. You won't be able to know it if you are jostled in the senses of society. What I worked hard on when I was a student in Kawashima, leads to now. There are many things that I have accumulated, such as my sense of color and touch. Knowing yourself in this way will be useful in your life and will become the basis for whatever you do."

"Handweaving is very analog, but in a world where everything is becoming digitalized, it is a necessary feeling to remember that you are human. Making things, using your own body. I think there is certainly a role for Kawashima Textile School (that teaches handweaving)," she said clearly. It was a field trip where students learned about Terada-san, who opened the way, about continuing handweaving, and where they fully felt her strong will.

Terada-san's graduation work. The surface is imagined from elephant skin. A hard twist linen yarn is woven in, and wrinkles are created from the force of the yarn wanting to untwist. She learned the importance of pursuing texture when she was a student.

-What does weaving mean to you?
"The appeal of not having waste"

"I make fabric that will be used by someone. My theme is to search for the relationship between people and cloth. When I think about what cloth is, it is something that is absolutely essential for human beings. Nowadays garment making is mechanized, and people are swamped by clothing, but in the old days, making clothes from handwoven fabric worked as a livelihood. I weave every day thinking about what that means. A fabric that one person makes for another person, without a concept of profit. However, it's not wasted. There won't be overproduction. I try, as much as I can, to make fabric that doesn't turn into waste."


About Yasuko Terada
Website: atelier KUSHGUL
Instagram: @atelierKUSHGUL
Yasuko Terada graduated from Kyoto Institute of Technology, where she majored in Architecture and Design. She graduated the second year of the Professional Course at Kawashima Textile School in 2001, and started making handwoven products as "atelier KUSHGUL" in 2007. She spends her days weaving at her studio in "Mustard-3rd," a clothing store and gallery in Kyoto, since 2010.

Featured in Garland Magazine (Australia)

An interview with teacher Emma Omote about teaching Kasuri at KTS, by handweaver, artist, and former student Helen Ting is now in the Loop section on the Garland Magazine website.

>> The Kawashima Textile School | Ancient kasuri is alive in Japan

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About the School: Internationality 3 | Interview with International Students Courses Teacher Emma Omote

-Passing on the skills of handweaving-

The Internationality segment of our series introducing Kawashima Textile School (KTS). Part 3 is an interview with Emma Omote, who teaches the Beginners Course, Foundation Kasuri Course, and Applied Kasuri Course I in English, for students from overseas. She talks about her experience of living overseas, encountering textiles, thoughts on teaching handweaving and kasuri at KTS, how her students have influenced her, and the internationality seen from the school.

Emma Omote giving a presentation about KTS at Tartu Art College (now Pallas University of Applied Sciences), Estonia, 2015

◆ Making things that enrich life

Emma became an assistant at the school after graduating KTS in 2009. She started teaching the International Students Course which was created the same year, in which the Beginners Course and Kasuri Courses are taught in English, with Kozue Yamamoto, and also became the International Coordinator.

She herself has also lived abroad twice. The first time was in her childhood, in the USA. She said that as an Asian, English was a necessary skill to interact with others on an equal footing when attending the local public elementary school. The second time was in Finland, as an exchange student from Kyoto Seika University. She majored in Western Painting, wanting to study a wide range of art, and in Finland, gradually began to find what she wanted to do. "I was drawn to my Textile major friends' approach towards making, where the things they made had a clear purpose, such as "to use" or "to wear." In Finland, textiles were blended into people's lives, such as using bright textiles indoors during the dark winter. I thought it was nice to make things that enrich life."

She wanted to study a skill that was specific to Japan, so after graduating from university, she entered KTS. "I was able to acquire the skills that I wanted because KTS, which is open to anyone who wants to learn, regardless of age, nationality, or background, was there." She likes making within limitations, thinking of combinations of colors in straight lines. She makes kimono as an artist, and teaches handweaving skills at the school to students from overseas. She says she has a feeling of achieving what she was aiming for, communicating about Japan to the world.

◆ Meeting weavers from around the world

It has been about 10 years since her alma mater became her workplace, and since starting to teach people who come to study from overseas. In addition to the school's approach of teaching reliable skills in a smaller class size, she has tried to "make it a good experience for the student" and "teach so the students will be able to weave on their own, after they return to their country." "In class, I share tips on how to finish a fabric neatly, such as how to angle the weft, and how to weave evenly. I hope the students will be able to use what they learned here after they go home. That would make me very happy."

There is a sense of distance of the world that can be seen from the school. "I think that many weavers like using their hands to make things, and are patient. Even if there are differences in countries and cultures, I have the impression that people who have similarities, such as their compatibility with such skills, and values regarding handweaving, gather here." Meeting weavers from around the world is one of the joys in teaching. Through her years in teaching, her feelings about weaving start to change.

◆ What I can do for Kasuri

The fact that students "often ask about the history" led to that change. "In addition to the skills, the international students often ask about the historical background, such as what kind of tools were used in the past, and the characteristics of kasuri of each region." She came to think about handicrafts in Japan, and the people who built the tradition. "My feelings towards Kasuri became stronger, and it became more than just teaching the skills." Her consciousness of "inheriting the skills and spreading seeds around the world" grew.

"Handweaving is a skill with a long history that has continued since ancient times. In this era (where digitization is the mainstream), a unique school that intentionally specializes in handweaving, which has continued for 47 years, where I have studied and now work, exists. How can we pass on the handweaving skills of kasuri, when there are many skills that disappear because of the change of the times? I am thinking about what my role is, and what I can do for Kasuri."

KTS has more than a hundred looms, a well-maintained dyeing room, teachers specializing in weaving and dyeing, and facilities such as the dormitory. International students often say that "it's amazing that there is a school that specializes in handweaving," which continues to operate on this scale. "I hear about textile departments of universities closing overseas. I want to help KTS continue to exist as a place that people who love to weave can come to study."

About the School: Internationality Series 1/2

About the School: Internationality 2

-The diverse relationships with weaving-

This is the Internationality segment of the series introducing Kawashima Textile School (KTS). From the very beginning, the school has welcomed people from all over the world who wish to study handweaving. In the 14 years up to 2019 alone, Kawashima Textile School has welcomed over 140 students from 28 countries. Part 2 is about the course of internationalization in recent years.

Binding thread for weft kasuri

In the past, the school had responded to requests from overseas individually, according to when and what students wanted to learn, but with the increase in inquiries, created the "International Students Course" taught in English, in 2009. The contents were the "Beginners" course in which students learn the basics of weaving, and the foundation and applied "Kasuri (ikat)" courses. The ikat technique itself can be found all around the world, as there is a wide variety of ikat, each unique to its region, but these courses were in response to the requests from overseas students who wanted to learn Japanese ikat. Until then, the school had called it by its universally known name, "ikat," but after the courses were set up, the Japanese term "kasuri" was established.

As the courses began to be held regularly every spring and autumn, reputation by former students gradually spread, and since around 2013, the number of applicants have been increasing year by year, and has continued to exceed the capacity each time. Students range from beginners, those who weave as a hobby, university or graduate students, to those who work in textiles such as artists or designers. Through these students who gather from all over the world with the common purpose of handweaving, we can see that they all have a relationship with weaving that suits each of their lives. Looking at textiles from a global perspective shows us different possibilities of how to be involved with weaving, and broadens our options, since there is a variety of individual lifestyles, and social and cultural backgrounds.The internationality of KTS is not only about the difference in countries and cultures, but also the diverse relationships with weaving. That is a world that can be seen precisely because it is a school that specializes in handweaving.

About the School: Internationality Series 1

About the School: Internationality 1

-A quiet sustainability much like planting and growing seeds-

We bring you the Internationality segment of our series introducing Kawashima Textile School (KTS). We will introduce the school's international involvement through weaving such as the spread of internationalization that has continued from the founding, an interview with the teacher, and voices from students. Part 1 is about the background of the internationalization of the school.

Harumi Isobe became a teacher at KTS in 1978, after working at the Research and Development Department at Kawashima Textile Manufacturers Ltd.* and at the HV Atelier. She became a bridge between HV and KTS and the exchange program began. The photo is of an article about Sweden by Harumi Isobe, which was published in the company newsletter in 1975.

The internationalization of the school was in sight from the conceptual stage of its foundation. Members involved in the foundation visited over 30 schools in Europe and the United States, such as The Cranbrook Academy of Art (USA), and laid a unique foundation by looking at weaving from a global perspective. After its opening, the school has attracted attention as an educational institution of textiles that is rare even overseas, with extensive facilities, and courses that allow students to learn a wide range of topics from basic to advanced specialized techniques. Since then, KTS has created opportunities and space for textile artists and lovers around the world to devote themselves to creating, and has connected international relationships by inviting artists and educators from overseas to give lectures. The foreign exchange program with Handarbetets Vänner Skola (Sweden) still continues to this day. In recent years, KTS has regularly held the "International Students Course" and "Workshops in English" for students from overseas. There are courses such as dyeing and tapestry weaving for overseas travel groups.

KTS is a school in the mountains in the northern area of Kyoto. While practicing quiet sustainability much like planting and growing seeds, international recognition became high, and cross-generational connections have been forming, such as former international students who have become educators in textile introducing KTS to their students, who then come to study. The seeds being passed on from hand to hand, and from person to person, steadily spreading around the world is a characteristic of the international aspect of the school, which has been continuing for 47 years.


*now Kawashima Selkon Textiles Co.,Ltd.

A Look into Our Classes 4 "From the Production Sites of Textiles" Cartoons

There are various people who teach in Kawashima Textile School’s Professional Course. In addition to the full time teachers, we invite artists, designers, and technical experts as guest teachers and lecturers from outside the school, to create an open, positive atmosphere. In this series we will introduce you to some of the classes held in the Professional Course.

As a part of their final project, the first year students in the Professional Course are working on a tapestry piece as groups. The school invites experts from each production site of Kawashima Selkon Textiles Co., Ltd. to give a series of lectures called "Textile no Genba (Production Sites of Textiles)," as a class that can be held because of its unique relationship with the company, and students proceed with their advice. The first class was "Learning from the Professionals of the Dress, Arts and Crafts Department: A Lecture on Cartoons, and Tour of the Tapestry Factory" by Mr. Masami Yamanaka, who designs kimono products.

A cartoon is the original design enlarged to full scale for weaving the tapestry. It is a process of visualizing the steps of making a picture into a tapestry, and involves consideration on how to pick up colors, how to draw the borders, and how to organize the infinite number of colors. "Accuracy and precision are important,” says Mr. Yamanaka, who introduced all the points and precautions, and the lecture was filled with details for manufacturing high-quality items within limitations.

On the factory tour, students visited the production site of theater curtains. After seeing part of the cartoon, which was about 20 meters wide, the students walked around the actual weaving site. Since each process of production is divided, close communication is important for cooperation, from the people creating the cartoon, to those who choose the colors, to the weavers. They heard comments such as "There are tricks in how to draw lines and how to separate colors. I try to give the person in the next process instructions that are easy to understand, and we work while exchanging opinions, like in a three-legged race." Learning the extent of making, from the difference in the work, product, and scale. What they have in common is the attitude of paying attention to details. Students will incorporate the inspiration from the commitment from the people on-site, and how they work, into their tapestry making.


-What does weaving mean to you?
"Beauty"

"My career has been focused on designing, and I have been drawing designs for 48 years. At first, for replications I tried to make them close to the original painting, but as I started to become familiar with the stages of production, and the beauty of the finished product, I learned there are expressions unique to weaving that are not found in paintings. That is the power and texture created by weaving in the weft, one pick at a time, but it cannot be expressed in words. I like the beauty of weaving."


About Masami Yamanaka
Masami Yamanaka joined Kawashima Textile Manufacturers Ltd. (now Kawashima Selkon Textile Co., Ltd.) in 1972 after studying painting and art in general, focusing on graphic design, at a Design Course in a technical high school that mainly focuses on textiles. He now works in the Traditional Fashion & Accessories Development Group, Manufacturing Dept., Products Business Division. Since joining the company, he has been involved in the design of kimono products, and has been creating designs for obi, uchikake, and kimono accessories.

An Interview with Spinning Teacher Yoshiko Nakajima 3/3

Director Kozue Yamamoto, a graduate of our school, interviewed Yoshiko Nakajima, who has been involved in homespun as an artist for over 40 years and has been a full-time instructor at the school since 1979. In the final episode of the three-part series, they talked about the sense of distance with weaving changing with the times, the characteristics of the school as seen by Ms. Nakajima, what weaving means to her, and about learning from yarn.

Part 1
Part 2

◆ Lessons from weaving helping in life

-When did you start teaching at the school?

1979. Someone introduced me when the school was looking for an instructor to teach spinning. I started teaching the spinning and homespun classes in the Professional Course, then the workshops, and after that, there were requests from students who wanted to weave clothing fabric, and I was asked for guidance. That's how everything connected.

-That was about 6 years after the school opened. What were the students at that time looking for when they came to the school?

At that time, weaving was not so distant. There were many people who just wanted to do handweaving. People who worked in the Nishijin district, people who moved to Hachijojima and started weaving Honba Kihachijo, people who worked in boutiques, and so on. After that, I have the impression that the school has changed according to the times.

-Indeed. I also loved textiles and wanted to continue, so after graduating from the Textile department of my university, I studied further at this school. People at that time were not necessarily aiming to find a job, and the atmosphere was that we were thinking about how to make use of the weaving techniques we had learned. Now, I have the impression that more and more people are already thinking about finding a job before entering the school. With that, the school has changed, too. What do you think about such changes?

It's difficult. The main focus of this school is handweaving, but in the actual market, machine production is the mainstream, and in the case of synthetic fibers, handweaving becomes more distant. In the midst of that, it's important to connect the goodness of textiles to the economy, but if efficiency is prioritized, things will go in a different direction. I hope that those who study at school will be able to have a different perspective from short-term productivity. I don't know if that will lead to employment right away, but it will help in life somehow. The feeling of reality behind life is too distant nowadays. By working on handweaving, people will be able to realize how things are made, and what kind of background people's lives are based on. I think that will also lead to developing an eye for seeing the true essence of things.

Teaching a spinning workshop at Kawashima Textile School, 1990

◆ An opportunity to recapture the sense of time

-Is there something you remember most, looking back on the 40 years at the school?

In the late 1980s, prior to the dawn of spinning, there was a time when the school called instructors from overseas and held what were called "public workshops". There, Ms. Rainey MacLarty (Lorraine MacLarty) from Australia had been teaching a hand-spinning workshop for hair/fur fibers for over 10 years, and I sometimes worked as an assistant. Rainey-san would teach theoretically. Until then, I worked based on my senses, so it was inspiring to know that there was a different perspective. From the students' perspective, I think theory is reassuring as a guide when starting out. Even if you feel like you can understand it by the numbers, in reality it doesn't work exactly as planned. That's why I think it's important to have a sense coming from practice, based on theory.

-It has been 47 years since the school opened. I think that the reason that it has continued this far is because this school has its own characteristics, but what do you think they are?

A wide range of acceptance regardless of age or nationality. The fact that the foundation for learning from the basics has not changed, even if the times have. To be able to gain the experience of making by actually moving your hands. The possibility to have enough time and space to create, unlike following a cut and dried system, could be some.

-Being able to work in a quiet environment is also an opportunity to recapture the sense of time.

Among the students, there are some who understand how good it is to use time like that.

-In that sense, this school surrounded by nature is an environment where you can concentrate on making and face yourself quietly.

I think it is important to have time like that in your life. Looking at the students, there are quite a few people whose facial expressions change by the time they finish, two years later.

-It could be because they have come across something that they can confidently say "I can do this." It may be a feature of the school that students can change so much in a year or two. Is there anything you would like to tell the students?

In this era, the speed of change is so fast that we can't see the future, and continuing one thing itself may be difficult. In order to continue what you love, sometimes you can find your path by looking at things from various angles, and seeing them as one big flow in the long run. Set your own axis, and watch the flow of the world as if you were doing a fixed point observation from there. Even if at times you are swept away, you will be in a state where you can objectively see yourself being swept away. I think it would feel easier if you had a foundation like that.

◆ Weaving becomes a method of thinking

-What does weaving mean to you?

What can it be, hmm... a feeling of security. When I am working on weaving, I feel calm, and can gain a feeling of security that I am together "with" weaving.

-It's a question that would be a problem if I was asked too (laughs). To me, weaving is not something special, but a part of my life.

Making fabric itself is tough, since it is time consuming and labor intensive, but it feels good to be absorbed in it while weaving. So it wasn't that hard to stay home even during the self-restraint period (due to the Coronavirus).

-What are your hopes for weaving?

I want weaving to remain in the future. I think it can be a way to think about various things, including relationships with people. It takes a long time to make handwoven fabric. Even for the yarn alone, in my case it takes days to wash the fleece, dry, loosen, card, and spin it into 100 grams of yarn. There were times when I wondered what I was doing, spending so much time, given the price of the same amount of machine-spun yarn, but I stopped comparing. I don't worry about it. Even in today's very busy world, yarn teaches us the importance of looking at it with plenty of leeway. That itself is the value to me, and what I think makes it irreplaceable.

-You have been with the school for about 40 years. In this interview, the words where you said, "Weaving is the feeling of security of being together" was a very deep message. The values ​​of facing handwoven fabric and the importance of simple living has led to the continuation of your work in weaving.

In order to connect the school to the 50th and 60th years since its establishment, we will continue to go on as we draw a future image of the form of learning that suits the times, what will or will not change, based on the tradition and philosophy of the school as a foundation. Thank you very much for today.

It was the first opportunity for me to look back on the past like this. Thank you very much. Looking back from the old days to the present, once again I felt the change of the times. No matter how much the world changes, I want to start with a single strand of yarn.

An Interview with Spinning Teacher Yoshiko Nakajima 2/3

This is part two of the interview with Yoshiko Nakajima, who has lived most of her life with textiles as a homespun artist and full-time instructor at Kawashima Textile School. She talked about what is interesting about homespun, re-examining her relationship with objects, a simple way of life, hiking that she started in her 40s, and the unique sense of weaving she has gained from it. The interviewer is Director Kozue Yamamoto.

(Continued from part 1)

◆ Wool covers a wide range of use

-What part of homespun appeals to you?

The practicality and the variety of wool. In wool, there is a wide range of things that can be made since there are many types of sheep, from hard wool for rugs and such, and delicate, soft wool for things that touch your skin. In Japan, the conditions for keeping different types of sheep are not met due to such things as the climate and culture, but there is a wide variety of wool itself and it is interesting to be able to weave with a yarn that suits what you are making.

−Yes, that is the best part.

If you use ready-made yarn, you have to choose from a limited number of types, and we have to adjust to the yarn. If you spin it yourself, the best part is that you can spin the yarn considering various factors the yarn itself will hold, such as the thickness, twist, and texture. Even if you don't know if you have the ability to do it, you can try it. Whether it works out or not, you can still learn from the results of the challenge, so that still interests me very much.

−What do you want to try now?

I'm weaving clothing fabric now. What shocked me about homespun was the volume of the items and the usefulness of the fabric that I saw in Mr. Arikawa's exhibition of clothing fabric. It has all the necessary conditions for clothes, such as breathability, elasticity, lightness, and ease of wearing. It is interesting that the fabric is made into clothes and then used. I've always wanted to make that kind of clothing fabric, but it takes time to get started. Now I have more time than before, and I have material that I bought a long time ago. I am focusing, thinking that I should work now since there is a limit to my physical strength due to my age.


◆ Seeing materials, history, and social movements through textiles

−Do you think life and woven fabrics have a close relationship?

I think so, but nowadays, there are less natural fibers in things like the clothes you wear, and more jerseys and knits than woven fabrics. The speed of change is fast, and I wonder what will happen in the future.

-Do you create with the environment in mind?

Woven fabrics, especially natural fibers, are closely related to the environment, so I think about it very much. In particular, many natural products can only be harvested once a year, like rice. In Japan, sheep are sheared once a year. Hemp and cotton also have a harvest season. On the other hand, since chemical fibers are made from things such as petroleum, they can be manufactured regardless of the season or climate. While convenient, I have concerns of it dominating textiles. In everyday life, human beings are expanding their distance from nature, and I don't think that is good.

−I agree.

If people could really feel that all the clothing, food, and shelter they are involved in every day are all born from nature, and that they can only be made in a limited amount, I think they would be able to take good care of things, but I think the world is not like that nowadays. I think it is important for people to learn and feel the relationship with objects through textiles. For example, the material and feel of silk, wool, cotton and linen. If you have a chance to wear it, you would understand how nice they feel, but if they are distant, people would not be interested in it.

−Since the classes at the school mainly use natural fibers, I hope students will gradually feel how nice, and how valuable natural fibers are, and that it would bring them to reconsider their relationship with things. Did your awareness deepen while working in weaving?

Yes, In the process of making, I naturally become interested in the materials. Through textiles, my perspective expands from materials to history and society, such as how and what kind of people raise the sheep, and what the current situation is. Creating brings me joy and happiness. On the other hand, the difficulty also becomes apparent.

Clothing fabric which has just recently been finished

◆ Keeping belongings as simple as possible

−Is there a key point in why you have been able to continue weaving?

It's because I simply like it. And I try not to carry too many things on my back. Possessing things uses energy, such as paying attention to maintenance, so I keep my belongings as simple as possible. It's easy if you have your own values. I live in a traditional nagaya (row house) in Kyoto. There are only 3 rooms, and the largest is 6 tatami mats*. I have two looms, and I sleep next to them. Even if I live in a space like a workshop, that is enough for me. I am satisfied with it. If I didn't like that, I could save money and make an atelier, but I don't want to spend time working for that. I want to spend as much time as I can on weaving, so it's best if I can manage with what I have.

*about 11 sqm.

−When did you start to see your own values?

It was formed with weaving. Looking at the world through eyes of the time, as the fabric takes shape, I have come to think that in the midst of all the ways that people live, for me, spending my life this way, creating, is good. Making naturally teaches you. I am able to spend my time doing what I want to do, so I think this is good.


◆ Weaving and the mountains, from the smallest unit to the infinite

-The richness and leeway of spending time in the process of making, not the measure of the speed of time, all comes back to you. Weaving has that kind of principle. By the way, when talking about you, we can't forget about hiking. I heard that you started in your 40s, but was it from anticipating that weaving requires physical strength?

The motive was play (laughs). I just go to the mountains because it's interesting. Until then, I wasn't confident in my physical strength, and I think it was good as a result. Weaving is work and mountains are play, but I have continued both of them only because I like them.

−What is interesting about the mountains?

Forgetting about everyday life and concentrating on walking. Otherwise, there are dangerous places. Weaving is nerve-wracking, so it could be that I go to the mountains to rest my nerves.

−When weaving, we stay cooped up at home, so it's a good balance to have activities both inside and outside.

Woven fabric is a tiny world where the warp and weft intersect, starting from the smallest unit. The mountains are wide and the natural scale is completely different. When you look at the scenery, you will realize the immeasurable power of nature. The two are connected within me. Woven fabrics are physically finite because their width is determined by the size of the loom. However, the small, incorporated structure itself, which is constructed as a fabric, can sometimes feel endlessly expansive. I imagine fabric being a small part cut out of it. I feel that woven fabrics have an interesting aspect in being able to make people feel a sense of an endless expanse from a tiny world.

-You are very energetic, going to the mountains the day after a workshop ends. It's important to change your mood in that way, and I'm sure there's something beyond your tiredness when you go. Such a way of life is attractive.

If you continue walking in the mountains, you will notice that before, you could walk the same course faster, or you could walk in a place with poor footing without any fear, and you can see that your physical strength is decreasing. Physical strength is required for both the mountains and weaving. Especially so for homespun. You won't be able to go to the mountains when you lose your strength, but with weaving, as you continue, several little realizations pile up, and push you to do what you're doing.


Continued to part 3 (Oct. 20, 2020)