I am incredibly fortunate to have a wonderful friend, Jean-Pierre, who has been living in Japan for over fifteen years now. He is the generous source of my collection of kimonos and the fabrics I have been using in my bags. He recently went on a trip to Kyoto, and sent me these pictures.
He visited an imperial villa, Shugakuin, that was away from the hustle of downtown Kyoto. The grounds are so lovely.
This is the market at Kitano Tenmangu, where J.P. bought some more kimono for me. He says that some of the stalls are disorderly, with just a big heap of cloth to rummage through, and some are very organised.
This is a garden at a temple near Shugakuin.
He had lunch at this restaurant, which he said was very cool, like being in a private home.
Thank you for sending these pictures, J.P.! They keep me going until I can make my own trip to Japan.
Hi Heather! I enjoyed the feeling of taking a walk with Jean-Pierre in Kyoto. It's really interesting to see the kimono on display in the market and then to see the photos of your bags made from similar fabrics. Maybe you could propose a show displaying bags along side kimono(s) (eg. at that little Japanese restaurant/gallery by Granville Island). Just a thought....
ReplyDeleteP.S. I also like what you said in an earlier blog about the past wearers of the kimono smiling to see how the fabric has been reincarnated. Maybe you could make that connection/sense of continuation part of a show. I hope I'm not being presumptuous, but I can really picture it....
ReplyDelete