Seasonal Colour Combination Work
I have travelled to Japan on a number of occasions (in 2001, 2014, 2016 and most recently 2024) and I often return to my memories of the Japanese landscape and culture in my work.
In 2020 I began to explore the seasonal kimono colour combinations traditionally worn at particular times of year and wanted to make a series of work utilising these colours through memories of landscapes. There is an apparent harmony in the concept of moving through an environment complementing the seasons with the colour of what you wear.
I was also interested in the way that the colours are not the same as western aesthetics might draw from seasons, it is an alternative colour palette which makes us look differently at the world around us. I have worked from Sanzo Wada’s iconic book of Japanese colour combinations, but also made extensive internet research to find a resonant seasonal palette.
My works are made from vintage bokashi hakkake (the silk linings of kimonos) which, to me, have the quality of traditional wood block prints. For me these linings evoke landscapes: skies, seas, mists, and they have become the ground of the pictures for this series. The silks come from kimonos which have been worn and so in places have the marks of wear, an integral element of the work.
Hakakke are made in a variety of colours and can be seen at the extremities of kimonos. The bokashi (ombre dye) design was conceived to mask dirt when worn and the hakkake can be replaced to maintain the appearance of the kimono. When new they are sold in one piece of continuous silk, dyed in specific places in order that it can be cut accurately for any kimono.
While the hakkake I generally use have been taken from used kimonos, they can be bought in a huge variety of colours to work with the outer silk of the kimono. I collect them as I find them and have large store in my studio.
unpicked pink Hakakke.
Obviously, the size of the works is dictated by the shape of the dyed pieces and dimensions of hakkake.
The landscapes are then layered from silks of a variety of weights: organza, satin, crepe, etc and include some from vintage kimonos. Not necessarily evident at distance but close up they reveal the textures, fibres and worn history of the fabrics.
The inspiration for the landscapes depicted comes from memory; places I have been, plants I have studied and walks I have made. I always take my camera with me when I travel and record these scenes for future reference. My journey in Japan in 2024 incorporated many more rural locations than before which will provide enormous inspiration for developing work.
The works chart a year, through months (fig 1) and seasons (fig 2)
fig. 1
fig. 2
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