Indigo Is the Color of My Dreams

Art in the Garden Fall 2010
Shihoko Fukumoto: Indigo is the Color of My Dreams

October 30 – November 28, 2010
Garden Hours; Pavilion
Included with Garden admission

People of every continent on earth have celebrated the beauty of natural indigo in their art and their textiles for everyday life since ancient times. From simple woven farmer’s pants, elegantly dyed handmade writing paper, noren shop curtains, and dynamically patterned summer cotton yukata—indigo is the color of choice in Japan. According to indigo textile artist Shihoko Fukumoto, “Indigo is the color of my dreams.” Achieving a color as deep as what is referred to as “eggplant blue” is no easy task, and neither is re-interpreting traditional Japanese dye techniques for the 21st century audience. Shihoko has succeeded at both, and her work has been recognized throughout the world, including at major international textile exhibitions in Italy, France, Switzerland, Holland, England, Korea, and China. Featured in this exhibition is one of her “Indigo Cube” installations—a floating “tea room” of indigo-dyed gossamer fabric—a contemporary work that bridges East and West to create an ethereal new space in which to present The Way of Tea.

Presentations of The Way of Tea will be held in the Fukumoto Indigo Cube in the center of the Pavilion from 1-3pm every Sunday through November 28. The exhibition will also feature wall hangings and other installation pieces from Shihoko’s repertoire of beautiful indigo fiber art.

Please visit the Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds for more information about handweaving organizations in Oregon.

Sponsored By

• The Japan Foundation
• The Jack & Lynne Hoffman Donor Advised Fund
• The Wessinger Foundation