Art in the Garden, Fall 2010
Shihoko Fukumoto: Indigo is the Color of My Dreams
October 29 – November 28, 2010
Garden hours
Included with Garden Admission
People of every continent on earth have celebrated the beauty of natural indigo in their art and their textiles for everyday life since ancient times. From simple woven farmer's pants, elegantly dyed handmade writing paper, noren shop curtains, and dynamically patterned summer cotton yukata—indigo is the color of choice in Japan. According to indigo textile artist Shihoko Fukumoto, "Indigo is the color of my dreams." Achieving a color as deep as what is referred to as "eggplant blue" is no easy task, and neither is re-interpreting traditional Japanese dye techniques for the 21st century audience. Shihoko has succeeded at both, and her work has been recognized throughout the world, including at major international textile exhibitions in Italy, France, Switzerland, Holland, England, Korea, and China. Featured in this exhibition is one of her "Indigo Cube" installations—a floating "tea room" of indigo-dyed gossamer fabric—a contemporary work that bridges East and West to create an ethereal new space in which to practice the tea ceremony.
Members of the Garden's Kashintei Kai tea group will perform tea ceremony inside the transparent Indigo Cube at times (TBA) throughout the exhibition, which will also feature wall hangings and other installation pieces from Shihoko's repertoire of beautiful indigo fiber art.
Shihoko Fukumoto
