Registration Opens June 24 at 10am

Katazome with Natural Dyes

Akemi Nakano Cohn

Maiwa East: 1310 Odlum Drive, Vancouver BC

Katazome is a traditional Japanese resist-dyeing technique which makes use of hand-cut stencils. The beautiful designs 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.

Instructor Bio

For ten years Akemi studied Katazome – a traditional rice paste resist printing technique – under Master Haru Izumi. Then, in 1985, she emigrated to the United States. The cultural shift inspired new work and new ways of working. 

Akemi has pursued an extensive series of international exhibitions and commissions. She is a master of the Nassen technique, which adds a dye to the rice paste to create both colour and resist simultaneously. She joins us from her home in Chicago.