journal vol.003 JAPANESE TRADITION [WASHI]

mizuiro ind Kyoto Takashimaya store reopened on October 11, 2023.
The washi paper decoration that has a strong presence in this store was made by Eriko Horiki.
Ms.Horiki is a global washi artist who "innovates" handmade washi as a building material and connects new "traditions" to the future.
We visited her bases in Kyoto and Fukui and asked her about her spirit of craftsmanship and approach to this work.

Iwano Heizaburo Paper Mills in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture.
In this workshop, innovative works are created by combining traditional techniques with her unique new techniques. The work is created by a total of 10 people, including craftsmen and her staff, using tools the size of three tatami mats.
She carefully creates the unique texture of washi while being conscious of the balance between 70% human design and 30% chance such as timing, water and fiber conditions.

She said, “I always believe that there are two important things in life. The first is 'relationships', and the second is 'passion'. When we meet many different people and things, without the passion that comes from our bodies, those connections will not deepen or expand and they will just pass by. I think that when people connect with each other and touch the passion that each person has, they feel the desire to help each other in some way, and that leads them toward a single goal.
When I heard about this store project, I sympathized with the brand concept and the passion for making clothes, and I wanted to create work that would bring those feelings to your customers”.

Concept of this work
She said, “I got the impression that mizuiro ind's clothes were free, simple and unpretentious. I considered how to use the qualities of washi as a material to fit the concept of the clothing while fulfilling the role of signboard and space production. When I thought about bringing clothes back to a freer state, the starting point was the threads that make up the fabric. While threads of various shapes wave freely, I wanted to create a design that everyone can accept comfortably and naturally, without the concept of likes and dislikes.
I am thinking about how to create a comfortable space where the clothes stand out through the washi, rather than creating washi. Simple, comfortable, and a little modest, but naturally memorable, I hope that visitors will feel such an atmosphere”.

PROFILE : ERIKO HORIKI
Washi artist
1987 Establishment of SHIMUS
2000 Establishment of Eriko Horiki & Associates, Inc.
She produces original washi with a basic size of 2,700 x 2,100 mm under the theme of "creation of washi modeling that lives in architectural space".
She handles everything from planning and production to installation of Washi paper interior art.

【SHOP DATA】
mizuiro ind Kyoto Takashimaya
52 Shinmachi, Shijo-dori Kawaramachi Nishiiru,
Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Kyoto Takashimaya 3F
tel.075-252-7414
OPEN 10:00 - 20:00