Water Kimono

h 279 x w 380 cm (110″ x 150″)
Cotton, pieced muslin cloth
Tie dye, sewing

The shape of the kimono embodies the ideas of the female, of cloth, of covering and hiding, and therefore the possibility of revelation and vulnerability. The water patterns connote the ripple of cloth and are like the female in being a life force. The idea that my kimono is hanging on the wall means that I am naked, exposing myself as an artist and as a woman. It is also an emblem of my Japanese heritage, which I also reveal with this work.

I like the tension between spontaneity and planning, risk and control, that is implicit in the Japanese tie-dye technique of shibori. The patterns arise naturally, but are made to look like the surface shimmer of water. The pattern created is meditative, but I hope both to soothe and excite the viewer.