This is an announcement about a special exhibition for the New Year in January 2025.
For the first time in six years, we will be inviting Vanker Shamji Vishram from Kutch, Gujarat, who continues to practice simple weaving while researching natural dyes and traditional fabrics.
As Indian handmade fabrics came into the spotlight, there was a trend to produce a lot of things indiscriminately and develop them, but he was the first to start utilizing materials that no one had paid attention to, such as native cotton and local sheep wool, and he visited the Labaris who had been his father and grandfather's customers, to study the spinning and weaving of the traditional lac-dyed fabrics that had once become extinct.
He also studied indigo dyeing, which is not originally their tradition, and started to make his own indigo dye using natural materials. Although it is a weaver's house, it is now known as one of the leading indigo dyeing workshops in India.
Their approach of unraveling traditions and learning from the old, while carefully attempting to create new things, has a quiet influence and gives hope to weavers all over India who work steadily to create their products, ignoring the hustle and bustle of the markets.
I look forward to meeting you all together with him in various locations. I also hope that you will be able to see his works at special exhibitions where timings do not allow me to be present.
Please check the websites of each gallery or shop to confirm opening hours and closing days.
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1/8(Wed)-19(Sun)
”CALICO: the ART of INDIAN VILLAGE FABRICS Exhibition
Old and new continental winter fabric: local sheep wool
at YAMA (Mt. Kamakura)
2-22-33 Kamakurayama, Kamakura City 080-7612-4306 2 parking spaces | If you take a taxi, leave from the west exit | Bus Take the Keikyu Express bus from the east exit of Kamakura Station, get off at Rokuban Asahigaoka stop, and walk for 6 minutes
January 14th (Tue) 13:00-15:00 Mr. Shamsie will give a talk and demonstration on sheep. Fee: 1000 yen. No reservation required.
Concurrently held: Winter MAKU Exhibition at fabric camp (Kamakura Station, Shimamori Bookstore, 3rd floor)
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1/10(Fri)-2/4(Tue)
"CALICO: the ART of INDIAN VILLAGE FABRICS The work of weaver Shamji"
At Manrin Bookstore Storehouse Gallery (Toyoda Asuke)
2 Shinmachi, Asuke-cho, Toyota City Closed on Thursdays and Wednesdays 0565-62-0010
1/19 (Sun) Yarn spinning workshop by Mr. Shamsie | Fee: 5,000 yen (including lunch) | Maximum 15 people | Deadline: 1/15 | Please contact Mr. Fujisawa at 090-4248-0546
Takizawa, Ouchi-cho, Toyota City Sora no Uta MIUCHI (former Ouchi Elementary School) | Participation fee
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1/17 (Friday) - 2/3 (Monday)
at OUTBOUND (Kichijoji)
2-7-4 Kichijoji Honmachi, Musashino City
Jan. 17 (Fri.) Mr. Shamsie and Kobayashi will be present
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1/22(Wed)-2/16(Sun)
"CALICO: the EXHIBITION vol.5 Shamji: the Vankar Weaver Shamji"
at CALICO: the BHAVAN (Nara)
491-5 Zoshicho, Nara City
1/22 (Wed) 13:00-Talk and demonstration by Mr. Shamsie | No reservation required
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1/23(Thu)-2/3(Mon)
At Tecla (Shizuoka)
1-1-25 Oiwa, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City
We look forward to seeing you all in various locations.