Art Festivals & Events

Although Kobayashi Masakazu (1944-2004), who was born in Kyoto City, majored in lacquer art at Kyoto City University of Arts, his desire to employ color in a freer way led him to take a job in the design department at Kawashima Selkon Textiles. It was there that he first encountered fiber. Kobayashi’s works, which explore the artistic potential contained in a single thread, came to be known as “fiber art,” a genre that transcends the conventional textile framework, and led to great acclaim both in Japan and abroad. While taking a look back at Kobayashi’s activities as a trailblazing pioneer in the field, this exhibition introduces work by some of his contemporaries in an effort to reconsider the past, present, and future of fiber art.

The first retrospective of Kobayashi Masakazu, one of Japan's leading fiber artists

The exhibition features approximately 80 works, including the "Blow in the Wind" series that made Kobayashi's name known worldwide, large-scale installations, never-before-seen sketchbooks and drawings, and his design works.

Between gravity and tension: how threads can recreate nature

The exhibition features threads that hang loose under their own weight or are stretched between the ends of bent wood or metal, occasionally combining these contrasting states. This interplay, which recreates the sounds and scenes of nature, is a hallmark of Kobayashi's work.

Kobayashi Masakazu: a multi-talented, free spirit

After working in fabric design at Kawashima Textiles, Kobayashi later opened Gallery Gallery, an experimental space for fiber art. He also taught in universities and continued to inspire young people. This exhibition also focuses on Kobayashi's diverse activities.

The past, present, and future of fiber art

This exhibition also features works by 17 artists who lived in the same era as Kobayashi Masakazu. Four of them have created new works especially for this occasion. By experiencing the world of fiber art as seen by these artists, visitors are sure to find inspiration for the future.

Main works

WIND - 4, c. 1975  Private Collection

This is an iteration of Kobayashi's first internationally acclaimed work "Blow in the Wind," which was selected for the 6th International Tapestry Biennial held in 1973 in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland. "WIND - 4" uses different materials and was awarded the highest prize (Minister of Culture and Art Award) at the 2nd International Textile Triennial in Łódź, Poland, in 1975. The loosely hanging weft threads create rich shadows and depth, enhancing the tapestry's flat surface.