Design Enshū II (Design Exercise II) by weaving sculptor Toko Hayashi is being held from summer to autumn. The steps of students creating a piece with a theme, then showing it in a group critique, is repeated. The purpose of this class is for students to explore the appeal of a material by themselves through working on assignments. The group critique for the second assignment was held on August 27.
"With this material, I can make good use of the drape." "When I touched this fabric, I felt it was similar to the softness of a baby." Drawing inspiration and imagining from texture, the pieces were created through trial and error, layering fabric, gathering fabric, using thread for movement, and so on. After displaying the work on the wall, one by one, the students talked about their process. The critique is to train students to have their work be seen by others, and to explain them in their own words. This second time is based on what students noticed in their first. Each individual's strengths and weaknesses show through the process of shaping an image, and advice towards one student spreads among the others who are listening, as something new to notice.
Toko Hayashi says, "Sometimes there are moments when I encounter an unexpected sense as I touch a material. Feeling that nuance, and deepening that sense leads to creating. It can be used even if the technique changes, and I hope this class becomes a breakthrough for the students." The time for the students to face themselves while observing textures, continues.
Textiles I encountered in Indonesia, where I spent my childhood. On the island, time would flow slowly, and people were chatting while weaving on a backstrap loom, and I saw the weaving techniques that have remained unchanged since ancient times blended into people's lives. That became a formative experience, and for me, "weaving and time" is one. When I am weaving, sometimes I feel like I am weaving density. By combining the warp and weft, I am weaving in time that has continued from long ago. To me, weaving is something that I can express the connection of time with.
About Toko Hayashi
Toko Hayashi mainly creates tapestries, small sculptures, and accessories using the sakiori technique. Her recent exhibitions include "15th International Triennial of Tapestry, Lodz" 2016, Central Museum of Textiles, Lodz, Poland (Honorable mention), "Kyoto Textiles: From the 1960s to the Present" 2019, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Japan, and other solo and group exhibitions. Toko Hayashi has graduated from Seian College of Art and Design. She is a part time lecturer in the Spatial Design Department of Seian University of Arts and Design.
