“Raw Japan” at MUDE, Museum of Design and Fashion in Lisbon, 9 October 2014 – 8 February 2015
Written on October 14, 2014
I’m thrilled that Lisbon’s Museu do Design e da Moda, or MUDE, is presenting “Boro: The Fabric of Life” under the title “Raw Japan.”
This title represents two exhibitions sharing one, large gallery: the boro show along with Naked Shapes, an ingenious exhibition of largely post-war objects made in Japan using repurposed aluminum scraps.
The two exhibits, each of which was conceived by and debuted at Domaine de Boisbuchet are complementary to each other in so many ways, most essentially in the way that they portray Japanese artistry as pertains the inventive use of recycled materials.
MUDE has named this joint exhibition “Raw Japan” which reinforces the material aspect of the show’s objects as well as suggesting an art brut tone which the textiles, especially, embodies.
The boro textiles are largely from my collection and also represent the generous loans from Kei Kawasaki, Naohito Shikama, Amy Katoh and Anna Heringer.
MUDE is a restored bank which accounts for so many of the interior’s preserved, luxurious stone materials which provide a stark contrast to the raw treatment of the ceilings and columns. This interior sets the perfect backdrop for both “Boro: The Fabric of Life” and “Naked Shapes.”
MUDE plans to publish a catalog on “Raw Japan” which should be available in early November.
Exhibition Credits
Raw Japan: Boro – The Fabric of Life, Naked Shapes/
Japão a Cru: Boro – O Tecido da Vida, Puras Formas
GENERAL COORDINATION
Bárbara Coutinho
CURATORS
Ayako Kamozawa, Mathias Schwartz-Clauss, Stephen Szczepanek
EXHIBITION DESIGN
Raquel Santos, Luís Saraiva
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Paula Guimarães
PRODUCTION COORDINATION
Vera Brito
CONSERVATION
Anabela Becho, Susana Santos
with the support of Cátia Souto e Sofia Lopes (Fundação Oriente – Museu do Oriente)
COMMUNICATION
Raquel Antunes
PRODUCTION
Cristina Gomes, Celina Trindade, Catarina Cid
LOGISTICS
Pedro Rosa, Pedro Muñoz, Gonçalo Vieira
TEXT TRANSLATION
Isabel Haber
Thanks:
MUDE would like to thank Alexander von Vegesack and
Mathias Schwartz-Clauss from CIRECA / Domaine de Boisbuchet as to all the colectors for the confidance in lending their pieces: Anna Heringer, Amy Katoh, Kei Kawasaki, Seiji Onishi, Naohito Shikama, Keiichi Sumi, Stephen Szczepanek, Alexander von Vegesack, Nobuhiro Yamaguchi
Copyright:
The Fabric of Life, Naked Shapes were produced by CIRECA / Domaine de Boisbuchet, France
.
What a beautiful exhibit! I would love to buy a copy of the catalog
October 14, 2014 @ 3:19 pm
Thank you for such a visual treat, Stephen. What a fabulous exhibition. So good of you and the others who loaned items.
October 14, 2014 @ 8:12 pm
wow. this looks like a powerful exhibition. i hope you will offer the catalog for sale, of send us to a place to look and order if we wish.
October 16, 2014 @ 6:22 am
Wow, ‘Raw Japan’ looks like an absolutely breathtaking exhibition! I think my heart almost stopped seeing the purple textile. Do you know what type of dye was used with this textile? Thanks for sharing.
November 12, 2014 @ 11:56 am
Thank you, Jennifer. The dye is most likely gromwell root.
November 12, 2014 @ 12:00 pm
Beautiful show! I only wish I could make it to Portugal and see it.
November 20, 2014 @ 2:47 pm
Thank you for showing such fantastic photographs of what looks like an amazing exhibition – do you know whether there are any boro/sashiko Japanese textile shows coming up in the UK???
November 22, 2014 @ 1:08 pm