Tattuke

These days we are used to finding fashion in an art gallery. But 'Tattuke' is a little different, rather than a display of lavish ball gowns or catwalk creations, this exhibition draws on a history of mend and make do and finds beauty in function.

Tattuke are the trousers once worn by working people in Japan to protect the legs from insects. Originally used between the Meiji and Shouwa period,  these tattuke have now finished their role as work wear, they are being reframed as artworks of cloth. Hiroshi Kashiwagi, Design Critic & Professor at Musashino Art University, explains their appeal. "As time passes and household items like furniture, clothes and crockery get damaged, it is becoming common practice to throw them away.  However, does the inevitable disintegration that comes with years of use mean that such items are no longer valuable?  No, mending often increases the beauty of an object – originally, "making" and "mending" were synonymous in Japanese. There is a beauty that emerges in objects that have been used over the years."

Sadly this show is in Tokyo so we'll just have to admire the pictures and the inspiring philosophy...

Tattuke exhibition, 2nd - 31 st  August ,  Okanoue APT  Gallery Kojima, 1-5-16, Izumi-cho, Kokubunji-shi, Tokyo 185-0024 Japan, T: 042-207-7918