TextielMuseum presents Fiber Futures | Art from Japan

The Netherlands-based textile museum showcases 30 Japanese artists pushing boundaries in the practice of fibre art.

This month the TextielMuseum hosts Fiber Futures | Art from Japan – an exhibition set up by the International Textile Network Japan in collaboration with Tokyo’s Tama Art University. The collection includes work from both emerging and established Japanese artists who are experimenting with textiles and fibre in sculptures, installation art, video and architecture. Collectively, the pieces on display illustrate the innovative use of fabrics in modern art and the future of contemporary Japanese art.

The various artworks pay respect to traditional techniques but also employ the latest technologies used in textile design. The multiple materials included in the exhibition range from synthetic fibres to paper pulp, hemp wire, and even recycled cocoons.

Fiber Futures | Art from Japan
Jun’ichi Arai, one of Japan’s most senior textile artists contributes a set of gold curtains to the collection. The shimmering curtains are made up of a flame-resistant fabric, which he developed by adding an aluminium and epoxy resin to yarn.
Fiber Futures | Art from Japan
Akio Hamatani’s "W-Orbit" is a cone-like curtain of rayon thread draped to form the shape of the letter “w”. Hamatani is also an experienced artist who has been exhibiting his large-scale works since the 1970s.
Fiber Futures | Art from Japan
"Shape of Red" is a sculpture by Shigeo Kubota who incorporates the art of weaving, inherited from his family, into the nylon, sisal hemp and plain weave artwork.