One of the big questions I had for this project is, what pattern/motif are on the fabric. My first intention was to take local scenery and objects, but it quickly felt like I am making souvenirs (and often Japanese Tenugui fabric are made for this purpose). Then I started to take more general (not so tight to location) objects, like vegetables.
For a while, I felt like it is a bit naive approach… It looks nice.. but maybe it is too nice. There are no edge or provocation. But then I started to read a chapter of the “Unknown Craftsman” about Pattern. Here, Yanagi describes the bamboo pattern he finds in crafts object (it is one of the very common pattern in Japan) as ” Comparing this pattern and the plant, the pattern immediately suggests bamboo grass, but even the first grans shows it is not a literal representation. A pattern is both true to nature and artificial …. Everyone knows that a bamboo grass pattern shows a plant that never could be.” He states pattern is a product of nature plus human view point.
I thought I am just depicting vegetables I saw from gardens in the region, but it for sure also includes my view point to capture and modify/simplify so it works as pattern on a fabric. After reading this text, I feel more confident about my decision to work with these series of vegetables.