Sometimes, a single book can change the course of a life.
For Taketsune Kubota, that book was E Kasuri—one of the first holistic study of a distinctive style of ikat textile that features more pictorial, expressive motifs than its geometric counterparts.
At the time, Kubota was three years into his job at an advertising company: something about the blurred edges of ikat -kasuri weaving captivated him.
“It reminded me of the fading brushstroke in calligraphy,” he recalls. “Or the almost-silent breath of a shakuhachi bamboo flute. I kept thinking—what could I make with such a beautiful technique?”
That question became a calling. He quit his job and asked to apprentice under the author of the book. His first request was declined, but he persisted. Eventually, Kubota was accepted into the office. After gaining experience at another textile studio, he set out on his own.
Today, Kubota lives and works in a region poetically known as Apricot Village. Every colour in his work is dyed using chips from apricot wood, the abundant blessing from the land.
“I used to work with chemical dyes, but there was a time when both my wife and I fell ill and couldn’t work: we needed to cut costs for production, and that’s when I noticed the vibrant reddish-brown of freshly cut apricot wood. I boiled the chips, and a beautiful orange emerged.”
Nearly fifty years have passed since he first began working with kasuri. From charming Yamame trout to a girl standing in the wind cooly, Kubota’s world has become distinctively his own—lyrical, light, while embracing sharp and clear edges within the subtle expressions.
“When I used chemical dyes, I’d measure everything meticulously. And sometimes, no matter how precise I was, the results felt off—almost nauseating,” he recalls. “With apricot, the colours vary depending on the mordant: from greyish green to soft orange to pale silver-grey. And somehow, none of them clash. They all harmonise. For someone like me with little talent, apricot was the best medium.”
His modesty is beyond me, but it seems that his very humble nature is what carried him through his creative endeavours.
When he’s stuck, Kubota often turns to drawing—rough sketches that later inspire his kasuri patterns. These drawings, often paired with calligraphy, poetry, or personal notes of encouragement, have taken on a life of their own. He sends them to friends and customers, who now collect them like precious keepsakes.
It took me a while to articulate what moved me so much. His modesty, yes, but what lies beneath that?
It’s the proof that when one walks truthfully to one’s calling, the Universe bless them. The knowing of the blessing humbles them, and even deepens their path.
His works are blessed by Nature. So is he, blessed by nature.
自然の恵みから色をもらう窪田孟恒さんの仕事。
自然の恵みを受け取れる窪田さんの在り方。
日本語の記事はこちらから。（無料登録で読めます）
0 Comments