etching and cyanotype on old hand-drawn dress patterns from the artist's grandmother, thread 10" x 11" Private Collection Photo by Will Slabaugh
etching and cyanotype on old hand-drawn dress patterns from the artist's grandmother, thread and fabric 8.25" x 8.25" Private Collection Photo by Will Slabaugh
old dress patterns, old stamps, thread, fabric, collage 12.5" x 9" Private Collection
etching and cyanotype on old hand-drawn dress patterns from the artist's grandmother, thread 10" x 11" Private Collection Photo by Will Slabaugh
Baba:
My grandmother's nickname was Baba.
Baba started sewing when she was around forty years old. It was after World War ll when there were not enough clothes for her three children. She continued sawing until she became 90 years old.
As a child I watched her sewing for my family. Threads, needles, buttons, wooden bobbins and fragments of cloth were my favorite toys. I used to imitate her sewing with them. Now as an artist, I use stitching with thread as a form of drawing in my collages.
This Baba series is a combination of stitching, etching and other mediums over my
grandmother’s hand drafted dress patterns or fabrics.
Baba didn’t throw away anything, and she was able to reuse even a small piece of fabric to create
something unique and beautiful. When she was still alive, every time I visited her in Tokyo, she gave
me her threads, buttons, fabric, and dress patterns for my artwork.