After 1853, when Japan began to open its doors to the outside world, Japonisme, a term coined by a French art critic in 1872, took hold. This resulted in a great deal of enthusiasm for all things Japanese. Ultimately Japanese concepts of art and design were incorporated into Western sensibilities. On the other hand, the Japanese became fascinated by the foreign and exotic, leading to a cross-fertilisation of cultural mores.
The collage and soft sculptures question whether an artwork can leave a trace of the soul of the maker. Some of the works make use of recycled Japanese kimono as a collage medium, others rely on painting and drawing to establish a connection to the Japanese aesthetic. By repurposing pre-loved textiles the works become connected to the Japanese philosophy of ‘mottaini’, which centres around wasting nothing of intrinsic value (waste not, want not). Through the making the history of the textile has acquired a further layer. And through labour and time involved in the making a trace of the maker is present.