UNIQUE BORO ART
Creating with Japanese Shibori Stitch… April 1, 2023
(In the Activity Room, Level One at the TETT Centre, Kingston, ON)
Bethany Garner, Fibre Artist, and Workshop Instructor
AN INTRODUCTION:
BORO ART is the result of repetition stitching over time and is a quiet, even solemn path to artwork as a selection for those who love the art of working with cloth. Japanese, who lived in small villages surrounded by mountains, had to repair their clothing and fabric by hand-stitching because of limited resources. They didn’t have enough money or logistics to get the new fabric from the market. In other words, they had to repair instead of replace their fabric. They patched a hole in one piece of fabric, then kept using it. When they found another hole, they patched it or mended it. The repetition of hand-stitching/repairing made a great art piece, and it is called Boro.
Today we create artwork that is often made with hand-dyed indigo-colored cloth and sometimes using items that we have in our closets and drawers, like the pocket of a pair of a family member’s jeans, or a small pile of cloth that is cut up using items from thrift stores or household linens, work a bit and often with holes of tears that leave the cloth in conditions that require mending.
The focus for our workshop day is building on the fabric we have, using the art as a learning session to encourage working along with the handouts/samples I will share and encourage you to be inspired by and strive to create your own designs. There is nothing better than a day with a few small scraps of fabric that can translate into ART… celebrating your decisions with threads, cloth, and some new friends in the classroom that will have their own path to follow and encourage you and share as you work together.
This class will bring you closer to sharing a connection with the art of Japanese BORO art and perhaps start you on a journey with bits and pieces that will inspire all new work. Join me for a full day with some samples from my handy work – and you will only need to bring some of your favourite pieces of cloth, scissors, needles, and thread.
Oh, and don’t forget, you will need the willingness to try a new technique that reminds you of years of work done by those around the other side of our world that walked before us.
Contact me to register and the full-day fee is $60, by e-transfer (email me at bethanygarner.art[at]gmail.com)
or through Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unique-boro-art-tickets-560599537307
A comprehensive handout will be supplied with registration... bring your lunch and a drink! (The Juniper Cafe at the Tett Centre is just down the hall! Come enjoy!!
