This is a series that covers the classes of skilled dyeing expert Masaru Hori-sensei, and looks at the “something” we must value. The second part is about the first year students’ “Kanzome” class. Hori-sensei is sometimes called a magician of dyes. That comes from the time when he instantly changed the color of yarn that a student dyed pink instead of green, by adding dyes intuitively. In the “Kanzome” class, he teaches the basic skills of adding dyes with one's intuition.
The class started with Hori-sensei explaining about Kanzome. “‘Kanzome” is a word that I coined. The method of dyeing by adding dyestuff intuitively during the dyeing process, has been long called “Horikomi Senshoku (throw-in dyeing)” by the craftspeople in dye houses of Nishijin. For my classes, I named it “Kanzome” so it is easier to imagine.” The basics of Kanzome is color matching using the three basic colors, yellow, red, and blue. Without using data, you add small amounts of dye during the dyeing process to reach your desired color. In class, students choose colors from samples, and dye skeins of wool.
“Once you get used to color matching, you will be able to do it ‘moderately well.’ But you won’t improve by doing it ‘moderately well.’ The starting point for Kanzome is whether you can match the color ‘perfectly’ or not. So in today’s class, we won’t stop at ‘moderately well.’ We will keep dyeing until it is perfect. Hori-sensei, who said that at the beginning, conducted the class exactly as he stated.
As the colors of the skeins got closer to the students' goals, Hori-sensei, who at the beginning of the class had been observing quietly, started to move quickly and spoke to them at the right moment. “It’s getting closer.” He compares the color with the student by laying the sample yarn on top of the skein that is being dyed. He doesn’t give the answer right away. “What do you think?” he first asks, and makes the student think for themself. After that, discussions like these go on.
Student 1: “It’s too light.” Hori-sensei :“Yes, you can continue to add the dye in the same proportion, and increase the concentration.”
Student 2: “It needs more green.” Hori-sensei: “What do you add to make it more green?” “...” “Yellow.”
Student 3: “There’s too much yellow.” Hori-sensei: “Yes, you put in too much yellow. This wool is naturally a bit yellow, so keep that in mind. What should you add?” “Blue.” “How about red?” “Red as well…” “Yes, let’s add blue and red.”
As the color becomes closer to that of the sample yarn, Hori-sensei’s question, “What do you think?” changes to, “What do you think it wants?” from the perspective of the yarn. The students understand, and the conversation continues that way. Hori-sensei quietly said, “When you have been dyeing for decades, it feels like the yarn calls for the color it wants. They call when they are just a step away from matching the sample perfectly. Something like, I want red, I want yellow.”
Through the process of matching the color from moderately well to perfect, Hori-sensei’s concentration increases. His calm appearance does not change at all, but his sharpened sense shows subtly in his momentary glances, timing of speaking to the students, and the movement of his hands. The students’ experience of communicating with Hori-sensei as they match colors, seemed to be an opportunity to open up their senses of focusing on the yarn and listening to what it wants.
At 82 years old, Hori-sensei is still active as a teacher, and has over 60 years of experience in dyeing. In the interview in 2020, he said, “Rather than dyeing myself, I like seeing the people I teach get better at color matching.” When a student working on Kanzome for the first time murmured, “It’s hard,” Hori-sensei said, “The only way to train your intuition is to dye many colors and get used to it.” That feeling probably comes from his years of experience. That is why those words resonate heavily. However, at the same time, it doesn’t feel like Hori-sensei’s sensitivity towards yarn is just that. We will continue to look at that “something.”
Continued to part 3.
