Kaga Yuzen depicting flowers, birds, wind, and the moon
The Maeda family of the Kaga domain, headed by the warlord Maeda Toshiie, put their wealth of one million koku into the development of culture. The third lord, Toshitsune, established an artisan workshop in the castle and invited instructors from Kyoto and Edo to train craftsmen in metalworking, lacquerware, and other crafts for the lord.
Kaga Yuzen is said to have begun in the mid-Edo period when painter Miyazaki Yuzenzai, who is considered the founder of Kyoto Yuzen, passed on his techniques.Ichiro Kakimoto, a Kaga Yuzen artist, had his workshop in a residential area close to Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Garden, which still retain the atmosphere of Kaga Hyakumangoku.The master of Kaga Yuzen is nature.While Kyoto yuzen has many patterns, Kaga yuzen is characterized by depicting flowers, birds, wind, and the moon.Every day, I go out for a walk around Kenrokuen Garden and make sketches.If I do not draw flowers and plants growing on the ground, they will not be real.Flowers from a flower shop are not enough.When I was young, I was attracted to chrysanthemums, peonies, and other splendid flowers, but these days I am more interested in nameless weeds.I am wondering if I can depict the hidden strength and beauty of weeds in yuzen,” says Kakimoto.
One-of-a-kind kimonos that show the individuality of the artist
The visiting kimono hanging in Ms. Kakimoto’s work space is a piece that truly evokes the beauty of flowers, birds, wind, and the moon.The brightly shining half-moon and colorful plants.It is as if we are looking at a highly realistic painting rather than a kimono pattern.
The work depicts not only the beauty of the appearance, but also the life that exists in the scene.One of the techniques of Kaga Yuzen is called “Mushigui (insect-eaten),” which means to express the marks on the leaves of plants as if they have been eaten by insects.When I paint the nature in front of me every day, I notice the changes that occur there.I am glad to be born in a country with four seasons,” says Kakimoto.
Mr. Kakimoto studied under Uzan Kimura, a living national treasure of yuzen who was active from the Taisho to Showa periods, and became an independent Kaga yuzen artist in 1967.His delicate yet bold style has been highly acclaimed and he has won numerous awards, and even now, at over 80 years of age, he is still active at the forefront of the art world.
In Kyo Yuzen, the person who decides on the design, the person who draws the pattern, and the person who applies the colors are all separate, but in Kaga Yuzen, everything is done by one person,” he said.In Kaga Yuzen, however, everything is done by one person.He also decides the combination of colors by himself.The more delicate the pattern, the more delicate the dyeing process, and blending the colors within a single petal to create a more three-dimensional beauty is a characteristic of Kaga Yuzen.
When I look at the work of my master, Kimura Uzan, the colors sometimes overflow, but this gives me a sense of the life force of the plant.I am also aiming for that realm, but I am still in training,” says Kakimoto.
Over 60 years and still in training.The world of crafts, not limited to Kaga Yuzen, is endlessly deep.
