Can paper be turned into wearable clothing? Absolutely. In Japan, thread made from handmade paper has been used for weaving cloth since at least the 17th century. The cloth is called shifu (shi means paper and fu means cloth in Japanese) and traditionally it has been employed in a variety of uses, from making kimono for the elite, to work clothes for farmers. Hiroko Karuno, an expert spinner, natural dyer and weaver presents a slide lecture on the process of making Japanese handmade paper. Afterwards, she will demonstrate the intricate method of producing paper thread from a sheet of handmade paper and how to prepare it for weaving.
“Passage to the Future: Art from a New Generation in Japan” focuses on art produced in Japan at the beginning of the 21st century. It showcases 42 works – paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, and videos – of eleven young Japanese artists who are presently attracting a great deal of attention, namely Atsushi Fukui, Satoshi Hirose, Maywa Denki, Tomoyasu Murata, Tetsuya Nakamura, Masafumi Sanai, Katsuhiro Saiki, Yoshihiro Suda, Tabaimo, Nobuyuki Takahashi, and Miyuki Yokomizo.
Call for Applications
Deadline: October 31, 2017
The Japan Foundation is now accepting project proposals for Performing Arts Japan (PAJ) touring and collaboratrion grants for the 2018 - 2019 fiscal year. Application deadline is 5:00 p.m. EST, October 31, 2017.
