2011 Maiwa Textile Symposium Workshop

Akemi Nakano Cohn
$295 (Includes $70 Lab Fee) Three full days
October 31 - November 2 (Mon - Wed) 10am - 4pm
Maiwa East - 1310 Odlum Dr., Vancouver, Canada Class Limit 14

Katazome is a traditional Japanese resist-dyeing technique which makes use of hand-cut stencils. The beautiful designs that can be achieved through this procedure are most often found on kimonos.


In this workshop students will learn to make the katazome rice-paste resist with historic recipes, and to master the use of traditional tools to cut the katagami (mulberry) paper stencils. In addition students will develop design ideas by observing objects in nature such as leaves, flowers, and branches to get a sense of the Japanese aesthetic.

The katazome technique will be combined with the use of natural dyes and mordants to create compelling works.

Akemi joins us from Chicago to give this workshop.

Akemi Nakano Cohn

Akemi Nakano Cohn describes herself and her art as follows: “I am interested in observing a condition of adaptation and memory among plants, animals, and humans in their environment. Nassen technique, which is based on traditional Japanese rice-paste resist printing, is used in the majority of my work. The nassen technique adds a dye to the rice paste to create both colour and resist simultaneously. When using katagami cut-out stencil paper, I remark on the empty shape left behind after cutting. This ‘negative space’ indicates the trace of its existence. Negative space is evidence of a memory. My work is an attempt to understand memory based on this process and inner observation.”

In 1985 Akemi concluded private study of traditional Japanese printing and dyeing techniques with Master Haru Izumi in Yokohama, Japan. Since that time she has pursued an extensive series of international exhibitions and commissions and shared her knowledge through teaching and workshops.
www.akemistudio.com