One woman exhiition in Kyoto 2013.Sept.28-Oct.6

Japanese spaces are so versatile that in the blink of an eye they can be transformed; futon bedding, kakejiku hanging scrolls, and fusuma screens, can be folded, rolled up, and put away in an instant to create empty rooms. This exhibition is presented in the same way that a Japanese householder would re-arrange their daily living space to create an installation for a seasonal festival.

 Words That Possess Commercial Value: Health

It's surprising to see how much medicine is consumed around me daily by so many of my friends and family. Is it really alright to take that much?! In the media words like "everlasting health", "anti-ageing" and "diet" are chanted to the extent that there's no resistance, people just can't seem to curb their obsessive consumption. Uncertain which way to turn, they can easily be led astray and lose themselves.

Materials: PTP (Push-Through-Packs), lacquer thread, plastic thread.

Words That Possess Commercial Value: Tradition

Two Fabrics: Luxurous Nishijin weaving and simple zokin

Nishijin textiles never lose the value of their brilliance, no matter how small one of these woven pieces may become, nothing can compare. Too beautiful to be merely a bit player, it is always given the leading role to show itself off in all its grandeur. On the other hand, as a cotton garment lives it's life passed from person to person, it gets used over time until it's finally worn out and becomes a rag or dusting cloth.

Materials: Safflower-dyed zokin rag, Japanese paper, Nishijin obi fabric, flat-faced gold thread

Zokin wa Jyokin (Zokin Rags are Purification Cloths)

In early March Nara's Todaiji Temple holds a Buddhist purification ritual called the Shuni-e Ceremony. Each year, artificial camellia flowers assembled by eleven practicing monks are offered to an eleven-headed statue of Kannon Bodhisattva (Goddess of Mercy). The paper used for the camellias is created by Sachio Yoshioka's natural dye atelier in Kyoto, using safflower dye for the red petals and gardenia jasminoides for the yellow stamens. The hemp cloth used in the process of extracting the colour from the safflower petals is usually thrown away, but I was gifted it as a zokin to use in this new artwork.   

http://www.textiles-yoshioka.com

In a small book I borrowed from the indigo dyer Hiroyuki Shindo called Momen Oujo (The Death of Cotton), Kichinosuke Tonomura, founding president of the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft, stated "Cotton is kind to people. In the end it serves as a zokin rag (jokin purification cloth) and it's job is done. That's the way people are supposed to live."  ...I wonder if I will become a zokin…

Washi paper

 Shuni-e practitioners rub paper to soften it then paste it together, and  cotton fabric which backed a kimono is torn in strips and dirtied with pine-soot torches.

Lost in Lace Birmingham Museum ＆ Art Gallery 29.Oct.2011-19.Feb.2012

Professor Lesley Millar of the U.C.A. curated an exhibition at Birmingham Museum called Lost In Lace comprising 20 artists from various countries.

Two years ago I received an email from Lesley with an invitation to submit a proposal and an image of the museum's floorplan. We then met a year later when I was showing my work in a group exhibition at Okayama Prefectural Gallery. She curated a complementary show alongside this exhibition. When she visited she confirmed that she would like me to participate in the upcoming Birmingham project. I showed her a sample of my work in progress comprised of a lacquered jacquard punchcard and knitted lacquer thread.

It's important for me to exhibit abroad. Firstly I have to consider making work that can be packed compactly. 

When I send my work it's crucial to package and label it correctly in order to be as cost-effective as possible. There was an unfortunate incident 10 years ago when I sent a work to Perth for exhibition. The Australian customs department asked the curator there to pay an exhorbitant amount of tax. It was necessary for the curator to go down to the customs office to negotiate and explain that the work was for exhibition, not a sold piece.

When I'm unable to go to the site to install the work myself, I also have to think about the construction of the artwork more thoroughly in the       planning stages.

On 26th October I visited the Birmingham Museum, two days before the "Private Viewing" to open the exhibition.

Young people often wonder how to get the opportunity to participate in large international exhibitions. 

Over many years of constant exhibitions in Japan and exchanges with foreign people, opportunities have gradually increased as I build my career. Additionally, its important to work with reputable galleries that have a range of clientele who will view one's work.

Having an English website is also crucial for international PR and global communication.

Although I've constantly exhibited, taught, and held workshops, I feel that I've sometimes missed opportunities because my limited English language skills have prevented me from engaging in conversation properly. Nonetheless, artwork speaks for itself,so as long as one keeps creating and showing good work, the opportunities will follow.

Forms and Colors of Textile 21st.Dec.2010-30th.Jan.2011 Okayama Prefectural Museum

26th. December.  Camouflage Yellow２  Performance 

Suzumi Noda 

Five Girls Bar Lesson　music/Radio Exercise   3 minutes 

left/Suzumi Noda  center/Jun Mitsuhashi  right/Masakazu Kobayashi　wall/Naomi Kobayashi

Mitsuo Toyazaki

Tetsuo Kusama

Camouflage Yellow 16th-21st.November.2010

Gallery Haneusagi / Kyoto
I think that the color yellow is the most distinguished color, so I invited people to put on bright yellow color clothes which are not worn everyday.

When people become couched in the yellow screen , they became objects in my work.
Their minds changed and became lighter , happier , more positive.

Everyone turned from being viewers into being art objects.

This enabled me to complate my artwork  "Camouflage Yellow"
My work is in the field of textiles, concerning materials, technique, and wearability are important to enable viewers to enjoy a direct relationship and experience with the art.

I am showing this work in "Forms and Colors of Textile" a group exhibition at Okayama Prefectural Museum and in collaboration with "Cultex "Exhibition.

Cultex is produced  by Lesley Millar who is a Professor of Textile Culture University College for the Creative Arts (UK) . 3 Japanese artists and 3 Norwegian artist  are participating in this exhibition.

This version of Camouflage Yellow will include pieces made by many other people who participated in my workshop last summer at the same museum .

They brought yellow items to the museum workshop with a view to creating things to conceal in the Camouflage Yellow Installation this December.

I hope you will be able to come and enjoy the exhibition.

Shindigo - Hiroyuki Shindo 16th.July.2010

On 15th July, I visited Hiroyuki Shindo's atelier in Miyama. Thirty years ago, he and his family moved to this village because it's possible to get good ash there for using in the indigo-dying process. 

Since he was young, he has collected a lot of indigo cloth and garments from all over the world for research,which he now shows to other people. They are displayed on the second floor of his atelier,The little Indigo Museum .

His main artwork is objets, but he also makes yukata (casual light kimono) and handtowels amongst other things.
His small rag cloths are made into beautiful patchwork cloths by his mother,and into pretty bags and pouches by his wife Chikako.
Some time ago, when I was ordering one of his yukata, he showed me a range of  cloths to choose from. Chikako advised me to get a summer kimono (hito-e) rather than a yukata, because it would have a much longer life, and I agreed.
I chose a pale cream colored cloth with Shindigo design.

He has an advanced technique. Sometimes, when people decide to buy his handtowels (tenugui) because they have a nice texture and quality and are good to use, they don't know that he's a famous artist. I think that is the sign of a true textile.

He has extensively studied and researched indigo-dyeing and shibori to create his own original artwork which fuses these two techniques. He calls it "Shindigo". He has an advanced technique but his artwork is very minimalist, so it looks simple even though it's very complex. From looking at his finished work, it's impossible to see the effort that he puts in. For me, that is complete artwork - perfect timing, perfect sense of space, perfect balance.

His small rag cloths are made into beautiful patchwork cloths by his mother,and into pretty bags and pouches by his wife Chikako.

Armel Barraud 2010 10th. July Seikado Gallery

For 2 months she has been in Kyoto for an Artist in Residence with Franco Japonais Intitute.
She is staying at Villa Kujoyama.

She is begining to make her work in the kura (storehouse) gallery at Seikado.

I went to meet Armel to at seikado - that is the oldest metal crafts company in Japan.

She wanted to ask me some questions about her work. I could just help a little bit.

According to Seikado's owner Mr.Ymanaka's blog, Armel had showed her work at an exhibition at Maison et Objet in France. He invited her to come to use the Seikado storehouse to create her works.

She will show her works there from Sept 11th to Sept 20th as an installation.

She also studied animation and she also studied bobbin lace. She uses a good combination of traditional techniques with her own original techniques. Her metalwork looks like fluid one line drawing, thin delicate sketches which are like storyboard images. The lighting casts shadows of the works on the wall behind them, so when I look at her work, it seems to move.
This "sketch" of many parts creates an enjoyable story for me.

I think it will be an interesting exhibition.

The owner's wife, Kazuko Yamanaka is a metalwork artist who makes crochet objects and large works as well as beautiful jewellery.

International Triennial of Tapestry 10th.May.2010-31.Oct.2010

The International Triennial of Tapestry is an international tapestry exhibition held every 3 years in Lodz, Poland. This year, it opens on 10th May, 2010.

Keiko Kawashima is the commissioner who selected 5 Japanese artists: Chika Ogi, Noriko Narahira, Yoriko Murayama, Kinuyo Yoshimizu and myself, Suzumi Noda. 130 artists have been selected from  51 countries, to be presented at the Central Textile Museum. I will show an artwork featuring obi sashes. In spring 2009, I held a show at Gion Konishi Gallery in Kyoto which is part of this series.

As I'm unable to attend the opening, I won't know who will receive the Abakanowicz -made trophies (gold, silver and bronze), but I think I'll be able to find out from other members of the Japanese contingent who will be present. When I get the news, I'll report it on this website. This exhibition will be held until autumn (6 months). I hope to visit, as well as go to Prague in Czechoslovakia and visit Jan Švankmajer's Art Gallery .

Concept: Words Possessing Value as Commodities: Tradition

Primarily, craft is integral to our life. If we don't use it, vitality and life are lost in a moment. Traditionally, craft objects are put on show and become research objects at museums and galleries. They are indeed beautiful in themselves but I feel that they should be used in daily life. Even though I am continually overwhelmed by traditional techniques when I see them, I try to create an innovative style which moves away from them.

Even when things are cut up small, they keep their style and beautiful upright standing.