"In his latest exhibition, artist and Tsutsugaki Yuzen master Shumei Kobayashi combines the classical Japanese hand dyeing technique Tsutsugaki Yuzen, with the delicate furoshiki wrapping cloth..
Living and working in Kanazawa, the birthplace of Tsutsugaki Yuzen, Shumei is among one of the few Tsutsugaki Yuzen practitioners left in Japan and continues to work hard at sustaining the legacy of this dyeing craft. Tsutsugaki Yuzen is a classical hand dyeing technique, which evolved approximately 400-years ago, and is characterised by its complicated process. Similar to batik, the artist will make an outline of the design onto fabric using a resist paste. The resist paste - a steamed mixture of glutinous rice powder, rice bran, lime, water and salt - is applied to the fabric using a finely pointed funnel-like utensil. After the outline is drawn onto the fabric, the artist will use a selection of natural pigments to add colour and bring the image to life.
Furoshiki will showcase thirty of Shumei’s new furoshiki designs as well as a number of his larger trademark noren (door hanging) works. On the 18th and 23rd of May Shumei will hold two workshops where participants can learn about the many ways to fold and use the furoshiki. Shumei will also be demonstrating the Tsutsugaki Yuzen technique on the 15th and 26th of May."
W: http://www.jpf.org.au/02_events/furoshiki/index.html
