Fiber Futures - Japan's Textile Pioneers

Japan is a world leader in fibre arts, with practitioners whose understanding of inherited materials and techniques has given them freedom to move beyond traditional utility to create innovative and beautiful works of art.The materials they use range from silk, cotton, recycled cocoons, antique paper scraps, jute, and hemp to stainless-steel wire and synthetic fiber. Their methods are sometimes traditional, but can also incorporate the latest weaving and dyeing technology, often with the goal of expressing an environmentally conscious green ethic.