The Japan Design Committee is pleased to present “Indigo Dyeing Anatomy Exhibition: The work of BUAISOU”, the 776th Design Gallery 1953 exhibition.
Indigo dyeing is one of the traditional dyeing methods in Japan. It has been a part of Japanese people’s lives since ancient times, and has been used for many textile products such as kimonos, noren (curtain), furoshiki (wrapping cloth), and hand towels. The deep and beautiful color of indigo dyeing is now popular not only in Japan but also overseas, where it is nicknamed “Japan Blue”.
The process of indigo dyeing is complex, involving the cultivation of tade-indigo, making dried indigo leaves, fermenting them into a dye called sukumo (fermented indigo leaves), dissolving them in lye, and then fermenting them again. Normally, these processes are carried out in a division of labor, but BUAISOU is a very rare indigo dyeing studio that does all of these processes by hand.
At Design Gallery 1953, a piece of indigo dyeing produced by BUAISOU will be categorized into 16 categories such as “color,” “texture,“ and “graphics,” and will be read through the method of dissection.
We hope you will enjoy the beautiful indigo dyeing that will decorate the beginning of the year 2022.
Exhibition Outline
- Title: The 776th Design Gallery 1953 Exhibition “Indigo Dyeing Anatomy Exhibition: The work of BUAISOU”
- Period: Monday, December 27, 2021 — Monday, February 21, 2022, closing at 5 p.m. on the last day, free admission
- Venue: Design Gallery 1953, Matsuya Ginza 7F
- Organizer: Japan Design Committee
- Exhibition Director: Taku Sato
• Please refer to the Matsuya Ginza website for the opening hours and other information.
About BUAISOU (from BUAISOU Web site)
“I want to challenge myself in the home of indigo.”
In 2015, BUAISOU was established in Ueita-cho, Tokushima Prefecture. BUAISOU has been engaged in the indigo dyeing business since the old days, starting with the cultivation of the raw material indigo, making dyeing indigo leaves, dyeing, design, and production, and is also involved in the production of original indigo-dyed products, collaborations, exhibitions and workshops in Japan and abroad, and conveys the appeal of natural indigo in various ways. In 2018, they completed their original dream of hand-dyed indigo-dyed jeans. In 2018, they completed their initial dream of hand-dyeing indigo-dyed jeans, and in the future, they aim to use vintage sewing machines, grow cotton, and do the weaving by themselves.
BUAISOU’s products will be on sale
During the exhibition, original hand towels and furoshiki (wrapping cloths) created to commemorate the exhibition will be available for purchase at the Design Collection on the 7th floor and Matsuya Online Store.
> Matsuya Online Store (Japanese)
