Kimonos and Culture of Exotic Amami Islands Examined in Fall Events
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2002
Joe Wills
530-898-4143
Kimonos and Culture of Exotic Amami Islands Examined in Fall Events
The mysteries and complexities of the Japanese kimono and the richness of Amami Islands culture - source of the treasured “tsumugi” kimono - will be explored through art, music, dance and lecture this fall at California State University, Chico.
CSU, Chico professor Masami Toku, Department of Art and Art History, received a $23,000 grant from the Palo Alto-based Christensen Fund to create “Cultural Diversity in Art: Voices from the Minority Culture of Amami Islands in Japan.” The Associated Students also contributed $4,500 to support the various activities planned.
The event features the first-ever collaboration of three CSU, Chico art spaces - the University Gallery, the Humanities Center and the Janet Turner Print Gallery - to present complementary exhibits in September on Amami life and kimonos.
Another highlight is the Sept. 5 lecture by anthropologist Liza Dalby, author of the best-selling book, “Geisha,” detailing her unprecedented experience as a Western-born geisha. Dalby is also the author of “Kimono: Fashioning Culture” and “The Tale of Murasaki: A Novel.”
Other events include a Sept. 11 kimono dressing workshop, a Sept. 12 tea ceremony workshop and a Sept. 5 performance by Tokyo Izena no Kai, an Amami Island music and dance troupe. All events are free and open to the public.
The tropical Amami Islands, stretching 250 miles in length south of the Japanese mainland, have a distinct way of life that does not fit people’s image of a Japanese “mono-culture,” said Toku, an Amami native. “In reality, Japan is a product of many cultures interwoven to create one culture,” she said.
While the Amami Islands are known for coral reefs, sugar cane production and folk music and dance, it is the kimonos produced there that bring it the most attention. The islands’ tsumugi kimonos are created using a special dying process that takes a year to complete. The finished products feature deep brown and black colors and a light silk texture that are highly prized and extremely expensive.
Traditional kimonos are far more than apparel to Japanese, Toku said. Each garment that makes up the kimono, and each step in the dressing process, has meaning. The kimono not only has historical significance for Japanese, but it is a major cultural symbol of aesthetic beauty, she said.
Nevertheless, Toku said many modern Japanese know little about the many complexities of buying and wearing kimonos. Cultural schools in Japan teach people how to wear a kimono, which is not a simple matter. Toku said it takes two years to receive a school certificate in the wearing of a kimono.
Toku said she has received extensive cooperation from Naze City, capital of the Amami islands, to mount the art exhibits and other related events at CSU, Chico. For example, the kimonos to be displayed on campus were loaned free of charge from Naze City, she said.
Following are dates, times and descriptions of the program events. For more information about the events, contact the art department office at 898-5331.
The three related art exhibitions:
“Voices from a Minority Culture in Japan: Kimonos from Amami Islands”
The University Gallery, Taylor Hall, Sept. 3-26
An exhibition of 20 silk kimonos from the Amami-Ohshima region of Japan.
“Images of Amami Islands: Makoto Koshima”
The Humanities Center, Trinity Hall, Sept. 3-26
Photographs depicting the people and region of Amami-Ohshima by noted
photographer Makoto Koshima.
“Fabric of Life: Kimonos in Japanese and Contemporary Prints”
The Janet Turner Museum, Laxson Auditorium, August 28-Sept. 30
Guest Curator Susan Yonts, UC Davis graduate student in art history, selects
the Janet Turner Print Museum’s exhibition of prints focusing on the kimono as a cultural and aesthetic element.
Reception and Events, Sept. 5
7-8 PM: Public Lecture from author Liza Dalby at PAC134
8-8:30 PM: Performance of Tokyo Izena no Kai at PAC134
8:30-10PM: Receptions at the University Gallery and the Humanities Center
Other related events:
- Tuesday, Sept. 10 (2-3 PM): Gallery Talk from Dr. Masami Toku at the University Gallery
- Wednesday, Sept. 11 (2-3 PM): Workshop of Kimono Dressing at the University Gallery
- Thursday, Sept. 12 (2-3 PM): Workshop of Tea Ceremony at the University Gallery
- Wednesday, Sept. 18 (7-8 PM): Public lecture from Jo Anne Erickson, “New Asian Art Museum in SF” at the Humanities Center
- Friday, Sept. 20 (11-11:50 AM): Public panel discussion of “Diversity in Art: Possibilities of Integrating Art Exhibitions” at Meriam Library, Studio A by Jason Tannen, Catherine Sullivan, Susan Yonts and Masami Toku.
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