Open Studio Tour 2008, Sept. 20, 21

Free Open Studio Tour

Gig Harbor, Fox Island,
Key Peninsula

September 20 & 21, 2008
10am - 5pm

Download the Studio Map and List of Exhibiting Artists : printable pdf file 2 mb

ART BY Jan Buday

Woven into the myriad silken strands
and into each pattern that emerges
are the hopes and dreams of the braider.

From ‘The Essence of Japanese Braiding’ by Aiko Sakai and Makiko Tada

Kumihimo is the art of Japanese braiding. Literally, the word means ‘the gathering of threads.’

Using many strands of delicate Japanese silk and other fibers and a braid stand called a marudai, I create kumihimo in a wide variety of traditional and contemporary patterns, some relatively simple, others very complex. I embellish the braids with lampwork beads, which I also create.

Lampworking, another ancient art, is the process of melting colorful glass rods over a torch to create beads in an infinite number of styles and color combinations. I love the combination of silk glass together. Their luminous qualities enhance one another other as each captures and reflects the light.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved textiles. As a young child in Japan I observed a woman sitting at a loom, tossing a shuttle back and forth and beating the threads into place with a beater. That image has stuck with me all my life – and likely inspired the work I do today.

Later, as a student at the University of Hawaii I was re-introduced to weaving and decided to major in it. A BFA in weaving usually offers little future, but I was hired as Assistant Curator of Textiles at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Under the guidance and friendship of Reiko Brandon, Curator of Textiles, it was my responsibility to ready textiles for display and exhibition and to conserve pieces in the Academy’s collection. I also studied new acquisitions and their fiber construction, which I found fascinating.

When I was given a kumihimo stand (a marudai) as a gift, I immediately began studying the instructional diagrams that define the precise movements which transform the strands of silk into intricate braids. Although silk is my favorite fiber, I also enjoy mixing several fibers together. Linen thread, for example, is very strong and sturdy. When combined with silk, it brings together the best of both worlds – the contrast of shiny silk and matte-finished linen creates added dimension in the braids. The addition of my own torch-made glass beads provides a shimmering, luminous quality that transforms each piece into wearable art.

Email the Artist

Enjoy the newest art and widest range of individual artist's original work providing the rare opportunity of seeing the artists in their studio environment and offering explanations and demonstrations of their materials and art process. This is also a unique time to purchase fine art directly from the artists.

E-mail info@gigharborOpenStudioTour.org
for more information.

SEPTEMBER 20 & 21, 2008

Download the Studio Map and List of Exhibiting Artists : printable pdf file 1.3 mb

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