Mingei… I am impressed by a translation of Mingei as “Art Without Heroes” by @roisininglesby. It will bridge the Japanese Philosophy standing behind their handicraft to the Western Value of Art. Mingei is indeed the Art without “Specific” Heroes.
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However, “Art Without Heroes” doesn’t mean that there were no Heroes. It means that there was no one who considered themselves as Heroes. You may remember your childhood when your parents prepared meals for you every day, without any specific “request”, they took care of you. Your parents can be Heroes for what they do – yet they wouldn’t consider themselves as Heroes because they think it is their Ordinary. It goes the same to our Sashiko. What we do can be qualified as Art – even “Fine Art”, yet many of Sashiko Artisans do not consider them as Artists.
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We live in a society where “Silence” won’t do much good. The louder our voice is, the more “authentic” they may be considered as Real. The approach of “Art Without Heroes” is the opposite of this trend. Therefore, I exist to be another bridge of Japanese Sashiko to Western Aesthetics.
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Sashiko can be a great “hobby”. Some may consider that big pieces are only in the museum behind the glass. We still exist. We still can make the Art Without Heroes – now I am trying my best to convince those hidden to be the actual Heroes. Please do not make Sashiko as “Past”. Please do not oversimplify it. Sashiko isn’t in the Past, yet.
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5月の運針会も無事完了することができました。運針を通した刺し子を楽しんで頂ける方が増えることは本当に嬉しいです。様々な形の運針があります。その中で私がお伝えしている運針は「誰でも必ずできるように」なります。ある程度の練習は必要になるかもしれませんが、人によっては数時間、大体の人は100時間程度の運針で「自然」になります。その後はご自身の運針を、刺し子を見つけて頂ければと思うのです。
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刺し子の運針は「到達地点」ではありません。運針は到達地点への「乗り物」です。あとはその乗り物に何を乗っけて出発するか。そんな個人の感性と「楽しさ」で刺し子は続いてきています。それを変えたくないのです。まだ刺し子は伝統的と呼ばれるほど昔のものではありません。現代の、そして未来の針仕事として誇りを持って続けたいと思うのです。
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#Sashiko #刺し子
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