Turkey Red Journal

Volume 15 Issue 2

A Journal Dedicated to Natural Dyes

Spring 2010

Nature's Gallery

Akemi Nakano Cohn and Students


	Akemi Nakano Cohn

	I am interested in observing a condition of adaptation and memory among plants, animals, and humans in their environment. Since moving to Chicago in 1989, I have noticed that the city is filled with various ethnic groups, with new and different immigrants still arriving. Many cultural values coexist. Some of those immigrants adapt and change in relationship to this city's culture, producing "varieties." Many plants also migrated to the new land. Climate, soil, environment... many elements affect new plants. They started to grow in the new soil, and at the same time, there is survival for existence.

	My personal journey lead me from adaptation and then to a process of memory. Nassen technique, which is based on a traditional Japanese rice paste resist printing technique, was used in the majority of my work. It employs dyes mixed into rice paste that creates both color and resist simultaneously. While using it with cut-out stencil paper, "katagami," I noticed the empty shape left behind after cutting out forms in stencil paper. This "negative space" of cut-out stencil indicates the trace of its existence. Negative space is evidence creating a memory. My work expresses an attempt at understanding a process of memory based on my inner observation.

	Akemi will be teaching her workshop, "Katazome with Natural Dyes" (in which the student work shown below was created), this August at the Surface Design Studio in Postmills, Vermont. For more information, see her web site at http://www.akemistudio.com/classesworkshops.html.


Traces in Time 8" x 8" x 3". Indigo, sumi ink, silk, stitching with indigo dyed thread, shibori, cut-out on rice paper.
Photograph Copyright by Akemi Nakano Cohn


Traces in Time (Detail)
Photograph Copyright by Akemi Nakano Cohn


Traces in Time #2 Katazome (rice past resist, mineral pigments, indigo)
Photograph Copyright by Akemi Nakano Cohn


Traces in Time #2 (Detail)
Photograph Copyright by Akemi Nakano Cohn


Rememberance Indigo, hand stitching on linen, patched, wool.
Photograph Copyright by Akemi Nakano Cohn




	Betsy Hobkirk
Untitled Rice paste resist on cotton. Applied mineral pigments, sumi ink, and natural dyes, (including cutch, madder, and indigo).
Photograph Copyright by Akemi Nakano Cohn


	Susan Parks
Untitled Rice paste resist on cotton. Applied mineral pigments, sumi ink, and natural dyes, (including cutch, madder, and indigo).
Photograph Copyright by Akemi Nakano Cohn


	Joyce Tromba
Untitled Rice paste resist on cotton. Applied mineral pigments, sumi ink, and natural dyes, (including cutch, madder, and indigo).
Photograph Copyright by Akemi Nakano Cohn


Untitled Rice paste resist on cotton. Applied mineral pigments, sumi ink, and natural dyes, (including cutch, madder, and indigo).
Photograph Copyright by Akemi Nakano Cohn


	Betsy Hobkirk, Susan Parks and Joyce Tromba were students in the workshop "Katazome with Natural Dyes" that Akemi taught at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in 2009. They students applied mineral pigments, sumi ink, and natural dyes, such as cutch, madder, and indigo, to mostly cotton fabrics using rice paste resist. The sizes of the pieces varies—except for Susan's piece, they were small, about 9" x 12".