SEKIMIZU Miho

SEKIMIZU Miho

kimono artist

​

The kimono, Japan's national costume, is a folk costume with a unique feature not found in the folk costumes of other countries: its use for viewing.
The kimono, spread out in a bold composition, is dyed with picturesque designs of nature and seasonal scenes, and the Japanese people enjoyed appreciating the kimono as if it were a painting.

The patterns and colors on kimono have evolved in a wide variety with the development of dyeing techniques. During the Edo period (1603-1867), yuzen patterns designed by fan painter Miyazaki Yuzenzai became popular, and from the Meiji period (1868-1912) to the early Showa period (1926-1989), free designs inspired by Art Nouveau and Impressionist paintings were created one after another.

She notes that the development of kimono designs has been interrupted since World War II, and hopes to restart the development of kimono through her creative activities. Among other things, she focuses on updating natural motifs. In old Japan, nature was represented by familiar flora and fauna, such as flowers, birds, wind, and moon. However, with the development of science and technology, it is now possible for humans to recognize the deep sea, the underground, the ancient earth, and even outer space, and the definition of "nature" surrounding humans is being updated daily and continues to expand greatly.
She depicts this new natural environment of our time in her kimonos. While inheriting the ancient costume culture and awe of nature, she expresses the unique modern natural scenery of flowers, birds, winds, and the moon on the kimono in an attempt to resume and further evolve the evolution of the kimono, which was interrupted by the war.

 

​

She was born in the Shonan area of Kanagawa Prefecture, and became familiar with sea life at Enosui (the former Enoshima Aquarium) as a child.
From the age of 7, she studied watercolor and oil painting at a painting class taught by Western-style painter Yutaka Iguchi.
While in high school, she was exposed to folklore and became interested in kimonos, and entered the Department of Crafts in the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music.

While studying dyeing and weaving techniques, she discovered the appeal of katazome and began creating artwork using the sharpness of its expression.
She is currently working as a kimono artist and a part-time lecturer at the Dyeing and Weaving Laboratory of Tokyo University of the Arts. 

​

​

 

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

 

​