Moving Continents: Japan Blue (Aizome) Exhibition

Moving Continents: Japan Blue [aizome] is an exhibition of immigrant stories traced through a study of Japanese cultural textiles, craft and fibre arts.

What did immigrants from Japan choose to bring with them to New Zealand?
What does this cultural practice look like in the place they now call home?

Deb Donnelly New Zealand textile artist in residence in Itoshima, 2018 and Hiroshi Tomihisa, a Japanese Kurume kasuri weaver [double ikat] explore and exchange studio works in 'Japan blue', indigo and design motif.

A presentation of crafted textiles, kimonos and a shared affinity for natural fibres and slow cloth from New Zealand and Japan.The process of design and indigo resist dyed yarn has been made in Kurume kasuri textiles for over 200 years, since 1800 and involves over 24 processes. Kasuri means 'to blur' in Japanese. Also known as double ikat in Asia and India from where this process has evolved in several Japanese regions to express folk craft textiles and artisan kimono wear.

Ikat means to tie and dye from Malay Indonesia language. Indigo or Japan Blue is a long process of cultivation and fermentation for rich deep blue colouration, originating from Tokushima in Shikoku where the five main indigo plant growers and master dyers are based. Donnelly who toured Japan in 2018 and 2019 to visit artisan sites has created her own blend of NZ fibres with shibori shape resist and natural dye processes to express her time and places in Japan while tracing her own Japanese immigrant and New Zealand family history roots.

Audiences to the gallery are welcomed to try on cotton kimono and head bands as a celebration of 'hanami' spring festival and take a selfie as an experience and memory of Japanese culture.

Works are for sale.