Encounter with Japanese Shibori

The moment you step off the train at Arimatsu Station, it begins. Glass railings embossed with shibori patterns, concrete car stoppers shaped like tied fabric, and large shibori-dyed fish adorning the facades of buildings – you truly feel that this town lives and breathes with "shibori."

I am a textile designer from India, where "Bandhani," a traditional Indian tie-dye technique, is an integral part of our lives. I traveled to Japan during the 11th ISS (International Shibori Symposium) to learn about shibori, Arimatsu shibori, and other resist-dyeing techniques.

I wanted to see how tradition continues to thrive in Japan, a country which has embraced modernity and technology like few others. What I found there was a deep reverence for the craft and process similar to how it is back home in India. This reverence for the process became one of the important pillars of the foundation of , "STUDIO MEDIUM." It encompassed a commitment to precision, to act with intention and a humility towards materials.