Sonoko Sasaki

Sonoko Sasaki, a textile artist, weaves tsumugi-type silk yarn in colours inspired by those of grass and leaves. She is the eldest daughter of dyeing and weaving researcher, Aiko Sasaki. After studying painting and photography, Sonoko Sasaki understood that her future would be with a career in artisanship. Thanks in part to those around her as well as her natural affinity with the tactility of fabrics, Sasaki decided to dedicate herself to the creation of cloths and more specifically to the creation of kimonos. She studied various techniques of weaving in the city of Shizuoka, Japan. She often uses birds and flora as motifs in her work, featuring both the rustic charm of tsumugi textiles and intricate designs created through a complex e-gasuri weaving technique.

Tsumugi (pongee) is a hand-spun silk yarn woven from the floss that remains in the cocoon of the silkworm. By spinning these remaining strands, weavers are able to create their own fabric. Despite the humble origin of the yarn, it has now become one of the most prized materials for Kimonos. The yarn is dyed with a series of patterns and then handwoven on a loom known as a jibata. When spun, the artisan will wrap the fibres around their waist, enabling them to tense and adjust the vertical thread.

Sonoko Sasaki studied tsumugi-ori weaving for three years. Over seven years she would regularly study fabric dying in Yanago and Hirose, an important step in the creation of pongee yarn. Developing her personal style, Sasaki has integrated e-gasuri weaving techniques to the Tsumugi in order to create detailed designs. The nature of the dyes used to colour the fabric is such that the colour of the fabric will mature and change ever so slightly over the years. This is something the weaver takes into account when combining certain colours.

The Ateliers of Wonders Exhibition

12 Stone Garden Exhibition