Japanese Aesthetics of Recycling

I have to admit to feeling a bit ambivalent about Japanese boro (mended or patched textiles). They have become incredibly fashionable in the West, presented as abstract art with prices to match. But the rural poor who made them were not making them as art. They made them from necessity, layering and stitching small pieces […]

Bamboo masterworks from Japan at the Eskenazi

I’m guessing that last year’s exhibition of Japanese bamboo art at the Eskenazi was a great success, as the gallery is currently showing some more. As the name suggests, Bamboo Masterworks from Japan – Classical to Contemporary includes works by some older masters of the art alongside contemporary artists, some of whom featured in the […]