JAPAN
Japan has always been top of my list of places I wanted to visit and I was lucky enough this Spring to spend three weeks travelling around Japan with my daughter Emma.
Japan embodies an attitude to design and an aesthetic that resonates with my own work.
From the very first day in Japan I was struck by how deeply design is woven into daily life. Everyday objects, packaging, signage, uniforms all carry design intentionality.
As well as experiencing the delights of exquisite gardens, temples and tea ceremonies we were able to take part in traditional craft workshops such as Shibori, a very intricate process of knotting and dyeing, and a braiding workshop which has been making the fine braids used in tying Obi sashes for centuries.
Braiding stool with weighted bobbins
Folding and clamping fabric before dyeing in the Shibori workshop
Intricate knotting prior to dyeing on traditional finished fabric
A noticeable and important aspect was how each craft highlighted the patience and precision that is inherent in every aspect of Japanese design.
Our visit culminated in a trip to the art island of Naoshima. This was a highpoint for me. Seeing the work of James Turrell exhibited in a Tadao Ando designed building and set in the beautiful Naorshima island landscape demonstrated how all the elements of architecture, landscape and art could combine to produce a breathtaking balance of rhythm and serenity.
Tadao Ando gallery
