My Very Own Folding Screen is Being Exibited! 屏風が新匠工芸会展に入選～

I previously did a post showing the end result of my Major Mitchell's Cockatoo 2 panel work. Here's a quick reminder of the work I'm talking about. 前に、大きなオウムの作品ができたと書きました。覚えっていないなら、この作品のことです。

This one! これだ！

At that stage, the work was simply two fabric panels; not really made into anything complete yet. At my review, several of my teachers suggested getting the work made into an authentic Japanese folding screen. I knew this would be expensive but agreed that it would be a nice solution and it suits the style of the piece.
その時は、染め終わったのけれど、まだ生地のままで、完成している作品とは言えませんでした。合評の時、教授が屏風にしたらいいんじゃないかと言われました。高いと思いながら、確かにこの作品は屏風になりそうな感じだねと理解していました。

In order to submit the piece to a public submissions competitive exhibition, a friend of my professor's was able to make the piece into a screen in a record breaking week. (normally these things take months!) I was very lucky he could do it at such short notice. It is only a basic screen (as that is all I can afford as a student) but I'm very happy with how it turned out. Have a look:
公募展に出したかったので、先生の友達である表具屋さんがいつもより短い期間で作ってくれました。すごいラッキーです！出来上がった屏風は大好きです。こんな感じです。

The screen opened out flat. 平面的に見ると。

But actually it would be displayed like this, with a slight angle. でも、本当はこのように展示しますね。

Soon after the screen was completed, I applied to the textiles section of the "Shinshokougeikai 67th Annual Public Submission Exhibition" (I suppose you could translate Shinshoukougeikai as New Artisan's Craft Association). I wasn't sure it would make the cut as it's a bit out there and not many foreigners seem to get their work accepted (or perhaps they just don't apply). BUT!! Last night I got a postcard in the mail to say my work has been accepted into the exhibition!! (Letting you know by postcard: how old school is that?)
This means my work will be displayed at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum this week until Sunday and then the exhibition comes to the Kyoto City Art Gallery Annex from November 7th-11th. All very exciting!

出来上がった後、すぐ「新匠工芸会展」の染色分門に応募しました。昨日、入選されたというはがきが来ました！すごくうれしいです！今週は東京都美術館で展示されていますが、１１月７日～１１日は京都市美術館の別館で展示されます。時間がある方、見に行ってくださいね！

This is the website of the Shinshokougekai Association : http://www.shinsyoukougeikai.jp/ It's in Japanese but you can click on the button to the right of the HOME button and drop down menu lets you see images and prize winners from previous exhibitions.
上に書いてある新匠工芸会のホームページで以前の展覧会の様子や受賞の人などが見えます。

床の間 An Installation - Tokonoma

I'm currently showing some of my work as part of an installation at Kyoto Seika University. 6 of us Research students and Phd Students hailing from England, the United States, Denmark, Germany and Australia are utilising cupboards and wall spaces here and there in the Administration building on campus.
今週の土曜日まで、京都精華大学で勉強している研究生や博士課程の学生と一緒に展覧会をやっています。私たち六人が「独英米豪丁」のように、ドイツ、イギリス、アメリカ、オーストラリアとデンマーク出身です。京都精華大学内の本館を使って、３階から５階にある壁や倉庫を生かして展示しています。

International Postgraduate Students Exhibition. 独英米豪丁

I was allocated the 3rd floor storage cupboard beside the elevator. It's a narrow and airless room but it's in a location that has a lot of students and staff walk by. At first I wasn't sure how I could use this unusual space to display my work. I decided to create a relaxing space, in the style of a tokonoma.
私は３階の倉庫を使うことに決められました。エレベーターの側にある倉庫は狭くて、空気のない部屋なんですけど、たくさんの学生やスタッフが通る場所です。初めは、こんなスペースにどのように私の作品を展示すればいいか迷っていましたが、結局床の間のような空間を作ることにしました。

床の間って？
In a traditional Japanese home, one tatami room is reserved for entertaining guests which will have a set-in alcove on one side of the room called the tokonoma. This space is used to display artistic objects for quiet contemplation including hanging scrolls, calligraphy, decorative incense burners and flower arrangements. When observing the items in the tokonoma, you sit in seiza position; on your knees.
Here's a picture of my own 'Tokonoma'
これは私が作った「床の間」

My Tokonoma, open to visitors. 床の間ができた！

Peek inside to see my work and a nice place to sit. 覗き見るとこんな感じです。

Noren (split curtain) dyed on linen. I used silhouettes of eucalyptus leaves for this design. 麻で作ったのれん。デザインはユーカリの葉っぱのシルエットです。

A kind of logo I made last semester that I was able to print in the corner. It says "So-meru"
染めた「印鑑」染める・染Meru・染メル

I "wallpapered" the space and built a small raised tatami platform. One of my scrolls hung on the back wall and I arranged some flowers in front too. I was able to display some of the washi paper fans I made last semester on a side wall too. As an entrance to the cupboard and to empashize the tranquility of the space I dyed a noren hanging curtain on linen for the doorway. A zabuton cushion is on the floor in front of the work so that the viewer can sit quietly and enjoy the work.
壁に落ち着いている色を張って、畳の台を作っておきました。掛軸を奥の壁に掛けて、その前に花を生けました。（ちなみに精華の華道部に入っているんですけど、まだまだ初心者なので間違っているかもしれない！）左側の壁に和紙の団扇も展示しています。事務所からくっきり分けるために、のれんを倉庫の入り口に掛けました。見る人が座布団に座って、ゆっくり作品を眺めれるように工夫しました。


Just how I pictured the space being enjoyed. 友達が見に来た時の写真



Detail of the scroll. 掛軸



3 of the fans I made using Japanese paper. 染めた和紙で作った団扇。今回は３枚組

It was an interesting experience to make an installation for a change. I had a lot of fun putting together the look and feel of the room and am really excited to read comments left in the notebook in the room saying that people have enjoyed the feel of the space and spending time there. If you have time and happen to be in Kyoto, be sure to check out the exhibition until this Saturday.
ただの作品展示ではなく、全体的な空間を創造するのがとても面白かったです。部屋に置いたノートにたくさんの親切なコメントや感想をいただいてうれしいです。この土曜日までに見えるので、もし時間があれば立ち寄って、コメントを残してくださいね！