A Morning of Art with Kadawaki san

On September 29th, our friend from the  Volunteer Center where we work every Wednesday,  Kadowaki san, took us on a fun outing.  We went out to a nearby village to view the artwork of her friend who was having an art show.  It was in a beautiful art center.  The artist is on the left and our friend, Kadowaki Kazuko is on the right.

Kadowaki san is a delightful individual.  We have become very good friends with her. Her friend is an extremely talented individual.  She paints, does calligraphy of the old-style kanji and, most amazing of all- does silk work. 

She had many paintings on display- all representing old Japanese culture.  Most of them were behind glass, and the lighting was such that my photos of them just reflected, so didn't turn out.  But these three give you a sampling.

I love this one of a mother and daughter huddled under a woven rice stalk blanket for protection from the snow and cold.

The Silk Work

We were absolutely blown away with the beautiful silk work.  They described the process of getting silk from the silk worm, spinning it into threads, then weaving those tiny threads into pictures and patterns.  They cut little slits in their fingernails to run the threads through and control them.  This woman had many beautiful tapestries on display.  I just couldn't believe someone could do this intricate, beautiful work.  These pictures were all created with silk threads on looms with the fingers using different colors (that are dyed different colors using natural colors from flower, leaves, bark, etc.)

This was a picture on a kimono she made.  She wove the silk, then made the kimono

The kimono

This weave was done with slightly thicker silk strands

This face was intricate and detailed.  I just couldn't believe it could be done with the fingers.

This piece may have been my favorite of all.  The colors were so vibrant; it positively shone from clear across the room.  The pictures don't do it justice, but following are some close ups of the beautiful work.

Us standing by it.

This kimono was the central grand display.  It was in the center of the room, and obviously the piece of which she was most proud.    Following are some close-ups of the work in this kimono.

This display showed the process- from silk worm to colored threads.

It all starts with this silk worm cocoon.

We love this cheerful, fun lady.

I loved that the artist took each of the guests that attended the show to a table and offered them tea and homemade crackers and visited with them before they left.  What a sweet custom.

The show was held in a beautiful hall in a little village near here.  The setting was absolutely gorgeous, though with all of the natural light flooding in, not very conducive to good photos. 
We just couldn't believe the breadth of this artist's work.  Besides all of this, she owns her own Japanese-style hotel and restaurant where she does the cooking herself.  I asked Kadowaki san if her friend ever slept.  She said, "Yes, but only  about three hours a night." 

It was a privilege and beautiful cultural experience to attend this beautiful show.  We hope you've enjoyed it!