Hiroko Takahashi | #014 Hiroko Takahashi Exhibition "DOTS & STRIPES" (Part 1)
Works measuring approximately 110 cm square, rendered in silk screen.
#014: The Hiroko Takahashi Exhibition "Patterns DOTS & STRIPES" (Part 1)
The exhibition "Patterns DOTS & STRIPES" is on display at the SFT Gallery on the basement floor of The National Art Center, Tokyo, until September 12 (Monday). For this exhibition, I created new patterns inspired by Japanese motifs. Seven works, each approximately 110 cm square and rendered in silk screen using these patterns, are exhibited on the walls.
Text by Hiroko TakahashiPhotographs by Shiori Kawamoto
Cotton scarves dyed by hand printing
These works are actually cotton scarves dyed using hand printing. While all share the same design, we are exhibiting one piece each that differs in its printing process: some use all five plates, some use only one color (one plate), and others are missing the final color. Those printed using all five plates are finished as scarves and are also sold as HIROCOLEDGE products.
Scarf print completion
Inside the factory
The dyeing factory in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, produced these works. In the immediate aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, deliveries to the Tohoku region were suspended, hindering the smooth exchange of color samples and prototypes. Furthermore, the supply of heavy oil was cut off, making it difficult to operate the machinery at full capacity. Although this factory possesses high technical skill and receives many orders from overseas, it had been going through a difficult period due to a decrease in orders, partly because of reputational damage from concerns about radioactive contamination. Fortunately, the factory sustained no major damage and continues to support my creative endeavors as before.
Work in progress
Checking the plate condition
At this factory, only women perform the printing work, which requires them to stretch their bodies fully. It is a job that demands meticulous attention to detail. Apparently, over time, only women came to be involved in this task. I was deeply impressed by their strength, which belies the delicate nature of their work, and as a fellow woman, I felt a strong connection. I wanted to create something with these women that could only be achieved through methods other than mass production by machines. This desire is what led to the creation of these works. I hope that this project will serve as an opportunity to reflect on the background of manufacturing, something that might go unnoticed if the pieces were simply presented as scarves.
Production: Tofuku Sangyo Co., Ltd.
TAKAHASHI HIROKO
http://www.takahashihiroko.com/