Exhibition

AbidWe_komorebi brought together a Lithuanian weaver Virginija Stigaite and Japanese stitching masters a year ago. The results of these collaborations are unique linen artworks on display - wall hangings and wearable art. Hiroko Takagi, Reiko Kobata and Keiko Futatsuya applied sashiko and kogin stitches to hand-woven linen. This allowed for less precise stitches "to dance" with nuanced hand-woven surfaces. Each piece of handwoven and hand stitched linen tells a story of cultural exchange, personal and universal: the Hill of Crosses in Vilnius, forest bathing, silence of birds in Tokyo, bark of pine trees in Takayama mountains, rivers of Nara, blue notes and jazz improvisations...

When the textiles arrived from Japan to the US, we commissioned Egle Špokaitė to respond to the artworks with choreography and her students performed for a short art film. The dancers wore linen tunics and, inspired by the Japanese-Lithuanian textiles, interpreted the processes of designing, weaving and stitching. The film is part of the installation.

AbidWe_komorebi collection captures the poetry of creation in an immersive and tactile way, as well as deepens respect for the artistry and multidimensionality of handmade items. The project was produced and curated by Sana (Svetlana) Gous, with support from Lili Almog at L'SPACE Gallery. We will be honored by dance, music, poetic or painting responses inspired by our collection of textile artworks and will include them into our future presentations. Please send your submissions to AbidWe_komorebi.

Opening Reception: Thursday, September 26th, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Closing Performance: Saturday, September 28th, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

homofaber.com/en/discover/virginija-stigaite-weaving-lithuania

koginsashi.jp/lesson.html

upcyclestitches.com

@AbidWe_komorebi @nytys_textile @sashiko.reisaian @sashikostory

Hiroko Takagi is from Tokyo. She is a legendary kogin artist, book author, custom style pattern creator, instagrammer and revered teacher whose work has been displayed at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. She recently completed "Fifty-Three Stations of Tokaido", her monumental work of thirty years - a set of 55 colorful pieces executed in kogin technique.

Keiko Futatsuya is a master stitcher, sashiko yarn dyer and designer residing in Takayama, Japan. For AbidWe_komorebi, Keiko dyed cotton thread in 5 shades of indigo. In her work, with the roughly hewn linen cloth, she followed the wisdom of Zen saying "Clouds move. Water flows." 

Reiko Kobata is covering whole kimonos with sashiko stitching in her studio in Osaka, Japan. In her wall tapestry, she reinterpreted an archeological map of Nara from the 700's. The titles of her pieces are evocative and full of hope: Memories of the Ancient Capital, Tradition and Reconstruction. 

Eglè Spokaitè is a dancer and choreographer, an actress, ballet educator, fashion model, and public speaker. She founded Ballet Institute of San Diego when she moved to the US after a stellar career as Prima Ballerina at the Lithuanian National Theater.

AbidWe is a creative collaboration of Virginija Stigaite (in Vilnius, Lithuania) and Sąna/ Svetlana Gous (in Palo Alto, CA). AbidWe is championing artistic initiatives with Lithuanian handwoven linen textiles, enriching them with global influences and advocating the importance of preserving, showcasing and elevating traditional crafts through original designs. Together, Sąna and Virginija are creating linen-and-wire sculptural hangings, reinterpreting weaving traditions into contemporary art practice. Two of their artworks are for sale during the exhibit, both inspired by the KOMOREBI concept.