NAKED’s Culmination Solo Exhibition “Bukiyō Daifugō”
slash-quilt artist 「NAKED QUILT」 held her culmination solo exhibition “Bukiyō Daifugō,” which I visited. The venue is the Daikanyama gallery “Kaibikan.”
“NAKED QUILT” is a brand developed by Akino Kodama, an artist who handcrafts slash-quilt works.
Bukiyō Daifugō (clumsy great wealth)
Because one is somewhat clumsy, not dabbling here and there (haven’t yet, but from now on) and achieving great success (or striving to).
Antonym: jack-of-all-trades, master of none (source: NAKED QUILT)
Slash Quilt
“Slash quilt” is a production technique characterized by the fabric texture created by layering and sewing cloth, then cutting between the stitch lines to raise a nap. It expresses complex color tones while, at the same time, the napping produces a gentle texture.
In this solo exhibition “Bukiyō Daifugō,” various kinds of works using the slash-quilt technique were displayed.
Three-dimensional work “HIT/ME/GO/COOL”
The first thing to catch your eye upon entering is the large three-dimensional work “HIT/ME/GO/COOL.” It’s a slash-quilt work created on the theme of “human sacrifice.”
A clown work made using various slash-quilt techniques part by part, expressing “complex emotions” by fully employing diverse techniques. The white paint applied all over the body is likened to “justice,” and it seems to positively interpret the complex psychology and emotional swings of a human being treated within the negative custom of human sacrifice. It appears to symbolize the worldview of the works “NAKED QUILT” creates.
Large tapestry work “NAKED”
The next work to catch your eye is the huge slash-quilt work “NAKED,” mounted across the entire wall behind “HIT/ME/GO/COOL.”
As the work’s title, bearing the brand name, suggests, it is a work full of Kodama’s feelings. It’s also a work she uses as a contest entry; with many colors leaping into view and its sense of scale, it radiated an overwhelming presence.
The good and negative sides of humans are cut out as individual pieces of fabric and given form, and by stitching them together she achieves a harmonious, beautiful color scheme as a whole. It’s a conceptual work that also seems to overlay the way humans face one another.
Works
I’ve posted some of the works displayed at the venue. It may be difficult to express the texture and feel of slash quilt in photos, but please take a look.
Akino Kodama
“NAKED” is a brand run single-handedly by Akino Kodama. She studied formative arts at university and completed her own slash-quilt style almost entirely self-taught.
Because she handcrafts each piece individually, it seems difficult to expand into online sales and the like. She mainly exhibits and sells at events repeatedly, energetically flying around the whole country. About a year and a half has passed since she began her activities, and many fans came to this solo exhibition too.
Summary
Slash-quilt works are never mass-produced as identical products like sewn goods or industrial products. Each is completed as a fully original work with its own distinct expression. Sometimes it seems to be led in a slightly different direction from the artist’s intention, but therein lies the great appeal of enjoying slash quilt.
The various fabric expressions peeking out from the cut edges and their soft touch feel like a strong presence that gently touches the hearts of those of us living in a digital society.
