The Art of Shibori - Kathleen Goddu
My love of working with my hands and with needle and thread comes from my grandmother and my mother. They sewed our clothes, knitted our sweaters, braided our rugs, and embroidered our clothing. I’ve always been an artist at heart, but I found shibori and indigo later in life.
In 1999 and 2000, I was a chaperon taking 10 eighth graders to Onoe, Japan as part of MSAD #75 Home-School exchange program. While in Onoe, we visited an indigo dye shop. Seeing the magic and beauty of indigo transfixed and transformed me. I was enchanted by indigo and the patterns created through different resist processes called shibori. I couldn’t get enough of this beautiful color. I purchased Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada’s book: “Shibori: The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing,” and began learning as much as I could. I later learned the gorgeous Japanese process called Sashiko, the white-on-indigo quilt stitching.
It has been 20 years of learning, experimenting, and becoming proficient with the different techniques. I have been inspired by the work of other well-known Shibori artists but have also been exploring techniques that mimic textures in nature. Growing up in a thirteen-room farmhouse in Gray, Maine, nature has always been a part of me. I grew up walking in the woods and the fields which provided ample opportunity to contemplate the beauty of nature, and marvel at the gifts Mother Earth provides us. I am still inspired by the organic, calming shapes in nature, the flowing lines of ocean beaches, the bark on the trees, and the various cloud formations. I incorporate these inspirations I get from nature and use the magical powers of indigo dye to communicate the soft edges and breath-taking beauty of Shibori on fabric. I often incorporate Sashiko stitching into my work.
I recently returned to Japan for a three week tour and workshop hosted by the World Shibori Network Foundation. During the tour, 8 Shibori artists from around the globe including me, had the privilege of studying with the last master Arashi Shibori Artist, Hayakawa-san. I also took workshops from three other Shibori masters. I was impressed with the way each teacher encouraged us to not only learn how to execute each technique taught, but to push the boundaries and discover new ways of producing resist patterns (Shibori).
We traveled to Kyoto, Nagoya, Arimatsu, Miyama, Tokyo, and several other places and learned many things about the history of Japan. We traveled to places like Nagoya Castle and the Miho Museum, to name a few. I observed the people and places and took notes on the cultural differences. Everywhere I went, people were extremely polite, respectful, and willing to help out. There was a feeling of kindness and appreciation for all things in their lives. Although we live in modern time, I felt that the Japanese people continue to follow many traditional customs. Japan is a beautiful country where I felt safe. An example of this was when I arrived in Nagoya, I couldn’t find my hotel. It was 8 pm and dark, but I didn’t hesitate to stop two men walking toward me for assistance. They were very polite and helpful.
So many things in Japan piqued my interest. For example, every district or town has its own signature manhole cover! This one was from Arimatsu.
Manhole found in Arimatsu, Aichi, Japan.
Wherever we went to eat, the service was impeccable. Meals at the inn in Miyama were always beautifully presented and delicious. Here’s a photo of our dinner at the Miyama inn.
While in Japan, I also noticed the minimalist philosophy. Every place was simply and beautifully decorated. It made me feel calm and welcomed, never over-stimulated by lots of things in the room. I returned to Maine with a desire to simplify my own life. This trip gave me a deeper knowledge, appreciation, and love of Japanese culture and its people.
I have many stories I’d love to share in future articles, reflecting on these cultural elements and my experiences in Japan.
