Beyond Making: Student Work Displayed at Tsuruya Yoshinobu

Expressing the Delicate Sense of Japanese Confectionery Through Weaving

A new tapestry made by a 2nd year student has been brought to be displayed at the main store of “Tsuruya Yoshinobu,” which produces Kyoto-style confectionery, in Nishijin, Kyoto. This is a part of the second year students’ curriculum, “Creating textiles for retail spaces,” which students who wish to participate, work on every year. The exhibition space is the landing of the stairs leading from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor of the store. Students actually go to the main store, taste the sweets, and start planning their work by putting themselves in that space.

Among the students of the second year students of 2019, Yuko Kano’s tapestry is now being shown. The motif she chose is a confectionery called “Seitai (Green Moss),” made from amber sugar. This is a beautiful confectionery which "expresses how the moss breathes lushly in sprinkled water (uchimizu),” and is sold as a limited edition product at the main store. The title of her work is also "Seitai." The concept is “such a beautiful day　when the May rain bounces off the stone rocks in the garden　and the moss freshly become grains of light."

Looking back on her creating process, Yuko Kano said, “Trying to express the delicate sense of Japanese confectionery through textiles was a fascinating experience for me. The beautiful colors that seemed to melt in the early summer rain left an impression on me, and when I first encountered this confectionery, I was drawn to its beauty, and decided to use this as the motif for my weaving. I made the tapestry in likeness of a white kakejiku (hanging scroll) that can be seen in the space of the tea room, and continued to work, imagining the changing scenery of the confectionery. After finishing installing the piece at the store, I felt the difficulty of making the best use of the space, but that too became a good opportunity for me.”

When visiting the main store of “Tsuruya Yoshinobu,” please enjoy the work along with the delicious Kyoto-style confectionery.

instagram: yuko__kano

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