"Woven Memories, 2024" by Kaoru Kuribayashi (Kiki)
Woven Memories, 2024. Crochet, 67" x 44” x 1”. $3000
"Woven Memories" (2024) is a hand-crocheted kimono.
Statement: Inspired by the legacy of my late grandmother, who was a kimono fabric weaving artisan in Kyoto, Japan, I consider a kimono a formatted wearable art form where artists from any background can express their creativity, to be handed down from generation to generation. Although literally translated as "a thing to wear," the kimono today has an effect that is more than mere clothing—it is a cosplay. Depending on the length of the sleeves, the materials used, the patterns, and the location of the motifs, the wearer can play a different role in the social setting. The kimono has been both conserved and appropriated in Japan and the West. If there is anyone who has the authority on the authenticity of kimonos, I believe it is the artisans who create them. With this work, I try to push the boundaries of what the kimono can and cannot be by following the traditional format while using unconventional materials.
Woven Memories, 2024. Crochet, 67" x 44” x 1”. $3000
"Woven Memories" (2024) is a hand-crocheted kimono.
Statement: Inspired by the legacy of my late grandmother, who was a kimono fabric weaving artisan in Kyoto, Japan, I consider a kimono a formatted wearable art form where artists from any background can express their creativity, to be handed down from generation to generation. Although literally translated as "a thing to wear," the kimono today has an effect that is more than mere clothing—it is a cosplay. Depending on the length of the sleeves, the materials used, the patterns, and the location of the motifs, the wearer can play a different role in the social setting. The kimono has been both conserved and appropriated in Japan and the West. If there is anyone who has the authority on the authenticity of kimonos, I believe it is the artisans who create them. With this work, I try to push the boundaries of what the kimono can and cannot be by following the traditional format while using unconventional materials.
Woven Memories, 2024. Crochet, 67" x 44” x 1”. $3000
"Woven Memories" (2024) is a hand-crocheted kimono.
Statement: Inspired by the legacy of my late grandmother, who was a kimono fabric weaving artisan in Kyoto, Japan, I consider a kimono a formatted wearable art form where artists from any background can express their creativity, to be handed down from generation to generation. Although literally translated as "a thing to wear," the kimono today has an effect that is more than mere clothing—it is a cosplay. Depending on the length of the sleeves, the materials used, the patterns, and the location of the motifs, the wearer can play a different role in the social setting. The kimono has been both conserved and appropriated in Japan and the West. If there is anyone who has the authority on the authenticity of kimonos, I believe it is the artisans who create them. With this work, I try to push the boundaries of what the kimono can and cannot be by following the traditional format while using unconventional materials.