“Expressing light with yarn”
The theme of the work is ‘Stretching threads, depicting light’.
My university degree in textiles was the beginning of my work with thread. I still cherish the words of one artist. 'Yarn is not only a fabric, it may have other possibilities. The important thing is not to be bound by stereotypes”.
Cotton yarn
I use cotton yarn as a material. Because I feel that cotton is the material that is closest to the existence of ‘people’.
Since ancient times, the Japanese people have naturally accepted the feeling that gods dwell in all things.
For example, there have been events at the Ise Jingu shrine where silk ‘nigitae’ and hemp ‘aratae’, which are the gods’ garments, are dedicated. This is another example of the sacredness of natural fibers.
“Comes and goes”
Cotton, one of the natural materials that connect ‘god’ and ‘man’, is a material that is closely related to life and close to people because it is pleasant to the touch, durable and practical. It is from this image that I have chosen cotton for my works.
When I create, I start by stretching undyed threads, and then I add layers of color.
As I repeat this process, there are moments when the light and shadows that I had imagined emerge.
Dye and pigments
Dye and pigments are used as drawing materials. Thread breathes and repeats slight stretching and contraction, so the painting materials and techniques are chosen with an awareness that each individual fiber can breathe naturally.
I believe that painting light is for me a “prayer” in search of light. I want to create moments of resonance between people through the works I draw in this way. That’s why I continue to draw.
Atsuko’s Works
Surely there is as much light as there are people. If the light that each person has resonates with each other, that light will become bigger and more beautiful, and I believe that this will become a moment filled with joy.
And I want to create as many of those moments as possible. I think art can play that role and I want to be one of the people who can do that. I continue to create, believing that the light for me will surely be someone else’s light as well.
Artist’s Collection