"Beauty in Everyday Life: Serizawa Keisuke and the Poetry of Stencil Dyeing"
"Beauty Permeating Everyday Life: Serizawa Keisuke and the Poetry of Stencil Dyeing"
Colors and patterns that quietly accompany your daily life.
Serizawa Keisuke dyed this beauty onto fabric, breathing life into noren curtains swaying in the breeze and cloth hanging on the wall.
His works embody the spirit of folk art, while also possessing a sense of playfulness and poetry.
■ The technique of stencil dyeing - everything done by hand
Serizawa carried out all the steps himself, from carving the stencils, mixing the dyes, to dyeing the fabric.
This was extremely unusual in the world of dyeing, where division of labor was the norm.
He established a unique technique called "katae-zome" and was designated a holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure) in 1956.
His works are characterized by vivid colors and patterns.
Vegetables, fish, letters, geometry - everyday motifs are poetically reconstructed by Serizawa.
■ Encounter with Yanagi Muneyoshi - Awakening to Folk Crafts
In 1927, Serizawa was inspired by Yanagi Muneyoshi's essay "The Way of Crafts" and joined the Mingei movement.
After coming into contact with Okinawa's Bingata dyeing, she began to seriously pursue a career in dyeing.
Yanagi's idea of "beauty in utility" took deep root in Serizawa's creations.
At Yanagi's request, he also designed the cover of the magazine Kogei, playing a role in visually conveying the ideas of Mingei.
■ Life and Art - Serizawa's Work
Serizawa's works cover a wide range of items, including kimonos, obi, noren curtains, folding screens, calendars, and picture book covers.
During the post-war period of fabric shortages, calendars made from stencil-dyed Japanese paper were produced to add color to people's lives.
His aesthetic sense was not merely decoration, but a pursuit of "beauty in everyday life."
His aesthetic sense was also directed towards collecting folk art from around the world, the fruits of which still live on in the Shizuoka City Serizawa Keisuke Museum of Art.
■ Serizawa Keisuke's Colors and Patterns: Poetry of Life
Serizawa's works have a nostalgic feel to them, yet also bring a breath of fresh air.
It is a poetic fabric dyed after finding beauty in everyday life.
He says:
"Beauty comes to life through use."
True to those words, Serizawa's stencil dyeing continues to live quietly in people's lives even today.