Material: Cotton cloth, reactive dye, gold leaf, platinum leaf
Exhibition location: ESPACIO Nagoya Castle – Art Collection (10th floor)
Azure Dragon
Created for the Art Collection guest room at ESPACIO Nagoya Castle, this work by textile artist Shigeki Fukumoto is displayed in the bedroom. Inspired by Genbu, one of the four auspicious mythical beings, it was created using the artist's original techniques of Naruhodo-zome and cloth inlay. Traces of natural phenomena—clouds, light, and rain—are woven into the softly layered dyed surfaces and meticulous compositions, creating a luminous and enigmatic world that invites each viewer's imagination.
Shigeki Fukumoto
Born in Kohoku, Shiga Prefecture, in 1946, Fukumoto grew up in Kyoto, a city with a long tradition of dyeing craftsmanship. He studied Western painting at Kyoto City University of Arts. Alongside his research into Oceanic indigenous art, craft theory, and dyeing theory, he sought new possibilities for Kyoto's rich dyeing tradition through the expressive potential of cloth and dye. Developing a wide range of original techniques, he established a distinctive artistic practice. His works have been exhibited extensively in Japan and abroad.
