Size: 900 × 1500 mm (35.4” × 59”)
Material: Indian cotton
Handmade in Japan using traditional indigo dyeing techniques

Background
Noren (暖簾) are Japanese fabric hanging dividers, used to gently define borders between rooms and spaces. By using vertical slits and keeping empty space below the fabric, the scene beyond is partially visible, encouraging passage.

Noren are traditionally used in homes to protect from the elements and provide shade in summer and as entrance curtains to shops and restaurants. Today, noren are also displayed as beautiful artworks.

Our noren are hand dyed by the Nagata dyeing house in Izumo, Japan. Shigenobu and Masao Nagata — fourth and fifth generation father and son craftsmen are one of only a few remaining natural indigo dye houses in all of Japan.

Process
The noren are dyed using a process called ‘tsutsugaki’. Rice is steamed for over a week to create a glutinous resist paste. Shigenobu then applies the paste by hand to define the areas into which the dye will not penetrate, creating the beautiful white contrast against the indigo.

Before the dyeing can begin, indigo is fermented for two to three weeks. The fabric is immersed in the bath for up to twelve times and dried between dips. The longer the fabric is immersed, the darker the color, and by controlling the depth to which the fabric is dipped, rich gradations of indigo can be created.

After dyeing, the fabric is washed by hand in the nearby Takase River and finally hung on a bamboo pole to dry. The total process takes around three months to complete.

Design Concept (by Hannah Waldron)
“This work has its origins in the sight of mountains appearing tissue paper thin, unfolding and receding into the distance on a misty morning whilst cycling in the Echigo Tsumari region of Japan. I was cycling around the Art Field Triennale visiting artworks nestled in the landscape, which is symbolised here with the red square. I was also intrigued about the tsutsugaki process and designed patterns that I thought would make an interesting translation in the hands of the master craftsmen at the tsutsugaki workshop. Similarly with the gradient I was keen to see how they would work with the traditional indigo-dyeing dipping process to achieve the ombré.”

Read more in Hannah’s blog post or see more photos in our blog post (Japanese)

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