Japanese Life in Colours at Nottingham Trent University

A renowned Japanese textile artist who has a design philosophy of zero waste and whose materials and dyes are taken completely from nature, is to hold his first ever UK exhibition in Nottingham. Akihiko Izukura, who follows an ancient process which is more than 2,000 years old, will showcase a range of textiles and clothing for his LIFE in COLOURS exhibition in the Bonington Gallery, Nottingham Trent University, from April 22 to May 14.

Izukura’s practice, which is always based on ‘compassion for life’, involves minimal waste during the process of dyeing, spinning and weaving, and ‘sun and water circulation’, using the natural power of the sun and water to save energy during design. His approach to fabric production includes natural dyeing, weaving, netting, braiding and entwining to create striking textile objects and fashion garments. He is the founder of Senshoku-do, a traditional ceremony of dyeing and weaving which seeks harmony with nature.

A graduate of Doshisha University, Kyoto-based Izukura is a descendant of a long line of master silk weavers who for centuries created kimonos and obis for the imperial family in Japan. He has worked internationally as a textile artist since the 1970s, winning many awards in his native Japan, and exhibiting in Poland, the Philippines, Austria, Denmark, France and the United States.

His materials are typically silk cocoons which can produce a fine silk thread or a coarse raw silk, which can then be dyed with colour taken from nature such as insects and plants. Textiles are then braided, knitted or woven on looms, and other materials such as ceramic glazes are made from ashes produced by burning the extraction residue or plants and herbs after dyeing. He also uses liquid residue and chipped extraction residue to form a Japanese paper.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Izukura and his team will be running a series of natural textile workshops for school pupils and students to demonstrate firsthand his design practices and the ancient processes he follows. They will be given the chance to reel silk yarn from cocoons to make three dimensional shapes, and will dye silk scarves, socks and coasters using liquids taken from natural herbs and insects.

The exhibition will feature various practices consistent with Izukura’s philosophy, illustrating his weaving and braiding and dyeing techniques.

“People have begun to appreciate artificial beauty over natural beauty over many years, due to mechanisation and industrial development; too much importance is placed on artificial systems,” said Izukura.

He added: “My zero waste concept is based on the idea of appreciation for the life given to us from nature. All my processes are filled with the blessings of nature; I believe it is crucial to ask for nature’s help for the production of dyeing thread or weaving cloth. With the advent of non-stop trends in the modern world, immense quantities of clothing are discarded as trash; we have to pursue different ways to become a more sustainable planet.”

The head of fashion and knitwear in Nottingham Trent University’s School of Art and Design, Julie Pinches, said: “When I first saw Izukura’s work in Japan I knew the impact it would have on a UK audience and was really keen to be able to show it here at the university. The intensity of colour and fusion of craft techniques and processes will amaze the viewer, but what really strikes is the message that contemporary fashion and textile design can be fully sustainable and an inspiration to the next generation of designers.”