Reinventing art styles has always been a way to break into the scene. Whether you’re Van Gogh developing impressionist art styles or Itchiku Kubota bringing textile techniques back from the past, your advancements in the genre are sure to ring a bell for generations to come. Japan’s pioneer artist was one who went from persevering in resurrecting a traditional art form to receiving worldwide critical acclaim for his reinvention.
Itchiku Kubota: a man of perseverance
As one of Japan’s unique textile artists, his extravagant collection came from humble beginnings. His familiarity with developing textile techniques brought his attention to the long-forgotten art of tsujigahana kimonos which were gorgeous dresses made from an old dyeing and pattern technique that had lost its methods through the ages. After dedicating his life to research and experimentation, he was able to replicate the designs and patterns and even made an innovation to the craft by improving on the traditional by using modern tones and dyes.
His development of the method was perfected by 1962 when he would have his chance to share his works with the world through a collection of kimonos. In 1977, the Kubota exhibition first opened in Tokyo where his kimono paintings received acclaim nationwide and even garnered a worldwide attraction due to its unique process by reinventing the traditional and mixing the style with the contemporary. His works were aptly named after him, as Itchiku Tsujigahana, for his stellar achievement of bringing new life to an old art form.
Inspiration from nature
Similar to another famous artist, Katsushika Hokusai, the subjects of Kubota’s paintings greatly resemble the beauty of nature. Hokusai’s most memorable piece, the thirty-six views of Mount Fuji, was made through the use of vibrant primary colours with complements and accents of white and black making for a simplistic yet beautifully arranged piece. Kubota brought a wide array of colour into his works by having a radical palette at the time for kimono patterns. He matched his paintings with different colour palettes in his rendition of the iconic horizons of Japan by depicting them in different seasons.
His fascination with the skyline went on to be represented by his “Symphony of Light” which is a mesmerising depiction of the heavenly bodies emblazoned on towering panels of kimonos.
His Namesake museum and post-crisis
Kubota’s success would not go without any challenges. Though he was able to build his namesake museum that housed his collection, he was unable to stop its potential bankruptcy in 2010. After his passing in 2003, Kubota wanted his museum to be an avenue for everyone to be able to see and appreciate his art pieces even after his passing. Unfortunately, economic turmoil hit the museum which landed it inches away from being sold. Through the efforts of a Russian philanthropist, Dr Patokh Chodiev, the museum was saved and the kimono collection also, which continues to be showcased as a collection through various museums around the world.
Image: Pixabay.com
