A new generation Dutch textile designer with an intuitive eye for color and modern lines, and a centuries-old Kyoto company famed for its exquisitely rich kimono artisan heritage: The seemingly contrasting worlds of Holland's Mae Engelgeer and Japan's Hosoo have overlapped to ethereal effect in an exhibition in Kyoto exploring a nuanced spectrum of colors and textiles.
"Colortage," the title of the show hints at its concept: a mix of "color" and "heritage." Center stage are 30 fabrics that make up the Hosoo 2020 Collection, crafted by Nishijin (Kyoto-specific) textile artisans with color combinations directed by Engelgeer, neatly displayed on minimalist white blocks.
An installation of new textiles, designed by Engelgeer during Hosoo's first artist-in-residence program last summer, are also festooned on traditional bamboo displays known as shinshi.