BORO TEXTILES: SUSTAINABLE AESTHETICS exhibition coming to Japan Society NY on March 6th

Japan Society NY
presents

Boro Textiles: Sustainable Aesthetics

When: March 6th - June 14th, 2020

Where: Japan Society NY

333 East 47th Street, NYC

Map

Boro (“rags” or “tatters”) are patchwork textiles hand-pieced by peasants in Japan in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The inability to cultivate cotton in the northern climate of Tohoku necessitated the practice of stitching remnants of used fabric into utilitarian items, including blankets, coats and mittens. These hard-used garments – reworked over generations – express essential principles of Japanese ethics and aesthetics, such as an appreciation for distinguished imperfections and the avoidance of waste.

For the first time in the U.S., this exhibition assembles over 50 archival pieces from the personal collection of folklorist and cultural anthropologist Chuzaburo Tanaka (1933–2016) presented alongside new portraits by editor-photographer Kyoichi Tsuzuki, designs by pioneers of Japanese avant-garde fashion Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, and textile-based works by Susan Cianciolo and Christina Kim – part of a generation of contemporary artists influenced by the aesthetics and ethics of mending, patchwork, and re-use. The installation, designed by New York architecture firm SO–IL, rediscovers this traditional handicraft, its history of survival and ingenuity, and its continued legacy within creative practices today.

Admission is $12, $10 for students and seniors; free for Japan Society members. (Join today to receive an exclusive invite to Japan Society's members-only Boro Textiles preview & reception on March 5th.) Tickets can be purchased in-person at the Welcome Desk or online in advance.

Docent tours are provided free with admission on Friday & Saturday at 2:30 PM (English) and Friday at 6 PM (Japanese)

Related Events:

Kyoichi Tsuzuki: The Beauty of Survival - lecture on Saturday, March 7th at 2:00 pm

Japanese Textiles: New Perspectives - panel discussion on Sunday, March 15th at 11:00 am