"Kinsai" is a decorating technique where gold and silver foils, gold dust, and other materials are glued down. The shimmering beauty of the gold and its delicate yet powerful representation captivates those who lay eyes on it.
While often used as a finishing touch for "Yuzen" (a Japanese technique for resist dyeing) due to the decrease in people wearing kimonos over time, there are many nowadays who are not familiar with this technique. It is Kinsai Ueda, based in Kita Ward, Kyoto, that is committed to increasing awareness of Kinsai and preserving this technique for the future.
In this article, we interviewed Natsuko Ueda, who is working as an artisan at Kinsai Ueda. We asked her about the founding of the studio, their current activities, and the charms of Kinsai.
PROFILE
Natsuko Ueda
Having been exposed to traditional crafts since childhood, it was after she entered the workforce that she began to be more aware of traditional techniques. Driven by the desire to address the challenges of Kinsai industry, my mother and she set up a Kinsai studio. Currently, we are engaged in a wide range of activities, including collaborations with other industries and creating artwork on our own.
Kinsai Ueda: Founded by a Mother and Daughter to Preserve Traditional Crafts
Could you tell us about how Kinsai Ueda was founded?
Kinsai Ueda is a Kinsai studio run by my mother and me. My mother has been working in a Kyoto Yuzen studio since she was 18 years old. After getting married and giving birth, she took on a typical job, but she returned to her craft when she was given an opportunity to join a new Kinsai studio.On the other hand, seeing my mother work as an artisan from when I was a child, traditional crafts were always a part of my life. I didn’t realize at the time that this job was something special to be passed down, so I went on to college and worked for an apparel company, just like my peers.
When I was working as a salesperson in the apparel company, I was living apart from my mother, so we often talked about our daily life or work-related matters over the phone.
Through these talks with my mother, I gradually started to recognize the differences between general corporate life and the world of traditional crafts. For example, despite their skills, traditional artisans are not compensated accordingly. Also, though the Kinsai applied to kimonos takes advantage of the beauty of classical designs and incorporates designs according to the times, I thought that Kinsai could be applied to a wider range of designs.
As these thoughts accumulated, I began to think that starting something on our own, including the preservation of Kinsai as a traditional craft, would enable us to pursue a better path. So, in the quest for possibilities beyond the use of Kinsai on kimonos, we set up this studio together.
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