Japan Design Committee is pleased to present “The rebirth of Kokura Stripes: The Beauty of Stripes, The Iki of Stripes — The Rebirth of Kokura Stripes from a Small Piece of Cloth” as the 781st exhibition of Design Gallery 1953.
Kokura Stripes has been produced since the Edo period, mainly in Toyomae Kokura (present-day Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture), and is a historical cotton fabric that is said to have been used by Ieyasu Tokugawa. During the Meiji period (1868-1912), Kokura Stripes became popular as a fabric for student uniforms and expanded its sales channels throughout Japan. In 1984, the Kokura Stripes textile was restored and revitalized by the weaver Noriko Tsuiki, who revived it as a hand-woven, grass-dyed textile. Today, “Kokura Stripes” is highly regarded as a traditional craft dyeing and weaving product representative of Kitakyushu City.
This exhibition will feature an installation of various Kokura Stripes woven by Ms. Tsuiki. In addition, various plant dyes that are indispensable to her Kokura Stripes production will be introduced along with her “tweets” describing her thoughts and feelings.
We hope you will enjoy the world of Kokura Stripes that beautifully decorate the New Year at the Design Gallery.
Message from Reiko Sudo, Exhibition Director
In 1983, Ms. Noriko Tsuiki was attracted by a glossy striped cloth rip in a small antique store in Kitakyushu City. It was an Kokura Stripes children’s hakama fabric with a beautiful gradation of dark blue. That encounter became the first step toward revitalizing Kokura Stripes, and the endless journey from researching Kokura Stripes to creating works of art began. It can be described as a design research method that leads to design hints through observation and insight. Ms. Tsuiki’s keen eye for observation, abundant interpretative power, and meticulous creativity will fill the gallery. We hope you will enjoy the exhibition.
Exhibition Outline
- The 781st Design Gallery 1953 Exhibition “The rebirth of Kokura Ori: The Beauty of Stripes, The Iki of Stripes — The Rebirth of Kokura Stripes from a Small Piece of Cloth”
- Dates: December 27 (Tue), 2022 — February 20 (Mon), 2023 (10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.; last day closing at 5:00 p.m.; free admission)
- Venue: Matsuya Ginza 7th floor, Design Gallery 1953
- Organizer: Japan Design Committee
- Supported by: Kitakyushu City
- Cooperation: Noriko Tsuiki, Kokura Stripes Japan Association, KOKURA SHIMA SHIMA CO., LTD.
- Exhibition Director: Reiko Sudo
• Please refer to the Matsuya Ginza website for the opening hours and other information.
Talk Event
We will hold a talk event with Ms. Noriko Tsuiki. For more details, including registration, please see this page.
- Date: January 13 (Fri), 2023, 15:00 — 16:00
- Venue: Matsuya Ginza 7F Special Room
- Capacity: 20 people
- Admission: Free
• Registration will be accepted from 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 19, 2022.
Workshop
We will hold a “Folding and knotting workshop using KOKURA SHIMA SHIMA fabrics”. For more information, including registration, please see this page.
- Date and time: January 17 (Tue), 2023, from 2:00 p.m. (about 2 hours)
- Venue: Matsuya Ginza 7F Special Room
- Instructor: Miyuki Sekine, head of YUU (knotting researcher)
- Fee: 6,000 yen (tax included) *Includes materials (fabric, braided cords, incense, and materials)
- Capacity: 15 people
• Registration will be accepted from 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 19, 2022.
Sale of related products
Related products will be on sale at the Design Collection during the exhibition.
- Sales of Kokura Stripes (hand-woven) products: December 27, 2022 (Tue) – January 24, 2023 (Tue)
- Sales of KOKURA SHIMA SHIMA products: January 11 (Wed) – 24 (Tue), 2023
- Venue: Matsuya Ginza 7th floor Design Collection
