Picturing the season the Kimono is to be worn
Yasunori Yanagisawa, who creates textiles for kimono in Nagano City, has been in the world of dyeing and weaving for 50 years. He was born in Tokyo and raised in Nagano. After getting textile training in Tokyo, he started his business in Nagano.
Since the local textile artisans were mostly subcontractors, Yanagisawa gathered workmates, held regular exhibitions and presented their works to Japan Traditional Craft Exhibition, in order to motivate the industry to produce more original works.
Yanagisawa’s motto is to imagine the season the kimono he is designing will be worn. He says coming up with the design is the most difficult part. ”Do you come to a standstill when you’re working in your office?” Nakata questioned.
In that case, he said he would switch to one of his hobbies, like reading Haiku or going out to take pictures.
Importance of communicating with nature
Yanagisawa laughed and told us that he spends too much time on his hobbies, and he can’t get much work accomplished. But even in those playful moments, there lies the secret to his textile skill. In the photos he takes, the season is captured beautifully and vividly.
”Do you go on long trips to take pictures?” Nakata asked. Yanagisawa answered, ” I like to walk around the neighborhood. The nature is rich and very beautiful.”
He likes seasons when lots of flowers are in bloom. When he draws flowers on kimono, he tries to capture its features, first focusing on small details up close, and then the harmony of the full picture. There was gentle ”beauty” drawn with delicate colors on the kimono.
Yanagisawa’s works colorful and beautifully express the seasons of Nagano.
