Yoshinori Tsuchiya

About the Artist

Textiles with a unique transparency created by using plant dyeing and hand weaving techniques

Tsuchiya creates textiles with a unique transparency, using exquisite gradation or combination of colors. As a student studying textiles, he became interested in the beautiful colors of plant dye, and started plant dyeing. He mainly produces "figured gauze" which has a feel of transparency. The designs of his textiles are based on stories, pictures and nature, and he hand weaves the threads that he dyes himself. The textiles that take a long time to weave are like dragonfly wings. Tsuchiya has received several traditional craft awards as well as the Medal with Purple Ribbon, which is a medal awarded to people who are recognized for achievements in the art field.

Style

In the weaving of monsha (delicate figured-gauze fabric), TSUCHIYA uses a pedal-operated loom to which four heddles and one furue, a device used in the production of gauze, are attached. In monsha, two warps are twisted to structure the gauze fabric, and then while changing to the warp color of plain weaving, cube, stone pavement, or other patterns are woven into the fabric.
In addition to monsha, his production is varied including raw silk fabrics or pongee. Raw silk is the exact opposite to refined silk and makes a classical silk textile similar to gauze; in the “Utsusemi” chapter of the Tale of Genji, the author describes a “raw-silk unlined kimono.” He aims to create fabrics with a good crisp feel and thus uses unrefined raw silk yarn. Kasuri (splashed patterns) used in combination with monsha are created by playing with the natural differences found in the dyed patterns.
His works are made of yarn colored with natural plant dyes that create distinctive bright and lustrous colors or soft patterns blended with gradual gradations in a noshime* style created by warp ikat. They are somewhat different from the images and patterns seen in the Shosoin Treasure House or on the attire of court nobles. Works demonstrating the beauty of raw silk with its dragonfly wing-like translucent quality are inspiring and point to the future production of monsha with a vital contemporary feeling. *A ceremonial robe worn by a samurai

Biography

• 1954
  Born in Seki-shi, Gifu Prefecture
• 1978
  Graduated from the Textile Course at the Kyoto International School of Art and Design
  Studied under SHIMURA Fukumi (Living National Treasure)
• 1994
  Selected for the first time at the 41st Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition
• 1996
  Participated in study group to train successors of the important intangible cultural property "Ra".
  Studied under KITAMURA Takeshi (Living National Treasure)
• 1997
  Full member, Japan Kogei Association
• 1999
  50 maîtres :les arts appliqués dans le Japon contemporain (Hosted by NHK, Paris Mitsukoshi Etoile)
• 2000
  Evaluator and judge at the 37th Textiles Traditional Kogei Exhibition
• 2001
  Invited to exhibit at "Contemporary Textile -Weaving and Dyeing: Ways of Formative Thinking-" Exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
• 2003
  Japan Traditional Art Crafts 50th Anniversary Exhibition “Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan" at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi
• 2005
  Wings of the cicada: textiles and kimono by Takeshi Kitamura and Usuhata Group at Daiwa Japan House, London
• 2006
  Modern Crafts from the Museum Collection 2001 - 2005 at the National Crafts Museum
• 2007
  The 54th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition, Evaluator and Judge (also in 2009 and every year after 2011)
• 2008
  Museum Collection Exhibition
  Radiance of Kimono
  Beauty of Lacquer, Wood and Bamboo Works (The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo)
• 2009
  Received the Medal with Purple Ribbon
  Solo exhibition at Wako Namiki Hall (Ginza, Tokyo)
• 2010
  Designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property Holder of “Monsha"
• 2011
  Solo exhibition “Living National Treasure Tsuchiya Yoshinori and Monsha – Weaving Mino" (Seki City Toko Shinoda Art Space)
• 2012
  “Gifu, Masters of Dyeing and Weaving" 3-men Living National Treasure Exhibition (Gifu Prefectural Museum)
• 2013
  2nd International Triennale of Kogei in Kanazawa, “The Arts – Grounded in Region" (21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa)
  From Crafts to Kogei (The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo)
• 2014
  Living National Treasure Exhibition (Tokyo National Museum)
• 2020
  Special Exhibition "KIMONO: Fashioning Identities" (Tokyo National Museum)
  Kogei 2020 - The Art of Crafting Beauty from Nature (Tokyo National Museum, Hyokeikan)

Awards

• 1989
  Received the Tōkai Traditional Kōgei Exhibition Award at the 11th Tōkai Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 1993
  Received the Governor of Aichi Award at the 24th Tōkai Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 1995
  Received the Governor of Aichi Award at the 26th Tōkai Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 1996
  Received the Japan Kogei Association President Award at the 43rd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
  Received the Gifu Citizens Honor Award
• 1997
  Received the Tōkai Traditional Kōgei Exhibition Award at the 28th Tōkai Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 1998
  Received Gifu Prefecture Artistic and Cultural Activities Special Incentive Award
• 1999
  Received the Japan Kogei Association Award at the 36th Textiles Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2002
  Received Seki Citizen Special Incentive Award
• 2006
  Received the MEXT Award at the 53rd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
  Recieved Gifu Prefecture Artistic Culture Incentive Award

Public Collections

• Victoria and Albert Museum
• Museum of Fine Arts Boston
• Tokyo National Museum
• The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
• Agency for Cultural Affairs
• Tokyo Kasei University Museum
• The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu
• Japanese Traditional Dyeing and Weaving Promotion Foundation
• Jingu Art Museum
• Yakushiji Temple