Kazuyo Kawamoto Kyoto Kanoko Shibori／Kyoto Prefecture
Biography
1941 Born as the third daughter of Yone Kitai (a Kyoto Kanoko shibori artist)
1949: Began shibori shibori at the age of 8 under mother Yone.
1986 Certified as a traditional craftsman in the tie-dyeing division of Kyôshikanoko-shibori
2000 Participated in Fukuoka "Women Traditional Craftsmen's Exhibition" (and every year since)
2003: Certified as a "Kyoto Master Craftsman" by Kyoto Prefecture as an excellent traditional craftsman.
2005 Participated in the San-no-kai Exhibition in Tokyo (and every year since)
2006 Restored Yodo-kun's costume for the first time in 100 years at the Kyoto Jidai Festival
2007 Participated in "Group Takumi Bijutsu Exhibition" in Tokyo (and every year since)
2008 Formed the group "Silk no ishizue
2010 Awarded the Mizuho Ikko Prize
2010 Kimono exhibition and fashion show at the Japanese Embassy in Paris-Alpes, France
2014 Participated in the "Women's Art of a Generation" exhibition at Tokyo Aoyama Square (and annually thereafter)
2014 Participated in "SNBA French Art Association International Exhibition" at Louvre Museum, France
2015 Lecture and demonstration in various places in Hawaii
2020 Currently, Successor Training Project and lecturer
Awards
2003: Awarded a prize at the 6th National Exhibition of Japanese Traditional Craftsmen's Association
2004: Awarded a prize at the 7th National Exhibition of Japanese Traditional Craftsmen's Association Works
2009 Selected for the Japan Traditional Craftsmen's Exhibition and the National Traditional Craftsmen's Exhibition
2014 Awarded the SNBA Jury Prize at the SNBA France Art Association International Exhibition held at the Louvre Museum, France
Profile
What inspired you to get into this work?
I was born in the home of Kyoto Kanoko-no-shibori, where many craftsmen have been working morning, noon, and night since I was a child. I could hear the sound of the workers squeezing the baby deer from everywhere. My grandmother, mother, and older sisters were also squeezing the silkworms at my home, as was the case with many others, so I started squeezing the silkworms when I was a child, as if it was a matter of course.
What do you want to appeal the most in your work?
There are various types of shibori in different regions. The only tools used for shibori are 10 fingers, a thimble that fits over the fingers, and scissors for cutting the thread. Because the shibori is made using only the fingers, the shibori is very fine and elegant.
What do you keep in mind when creating your work?
The shibori is a technique to express patterns with grains, not with paintbrushes, and although it does not produce fine patterns, we cherish the warmth unique to shibori.
What do you want to achieve from now on? Or how do you want to live?
I have been doing this work for a long time. I am still working vigorously, and while I can, I will continue to work as hard as ever so as not to be ashamed of Kyo shikanoko-shibori.