The theme of this year's commemorative exhibition is "Blue Flowers." This theme is inspired by the unfinished novel "Blue Flowers" written by the early German Romantic poet Novalis (1772-1801). The "blue flower" symbolizes a longing for the infinite, and the Japanese "indigo" has also been cherished as a color with a high level of spirituality.
For Novalis, "poetry" was the visible expression of the invisible spiritual and mystical world. Our dyeing and weaving also expresses the invisible mental landscape with the life colors of plants and trees. I feel that this resonates very much with the artistic view of the German Romantic school.
Novalis once said, "The world must be romanticized, so that we may find its original meaning once again." Romanticizing the world is nothing other than the task of rediscovering the original meaning of the world that was lost in modern times. We too hope to empathize with nature through dyeing and weaving, and to express the world behind nature.
We hope you will come and see the exhibition "A Celebration of Color - Blue Flowers."

[Kyoto Exhibition]
Date and time : November 3rd (Friday, national holiday) to November 14th (Tuesday), 12:00-18:00 *Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays, open on public holidays
Venue: Atelier Shimura Shop & Gallery Kyoto Main Store
600-8018 Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Shimogyo Ward, Kawaramachi-dori Shijo Sagaru Ichinomachi 251-2 Kotobuki Building 2F
Inquiry tel: 075-585-5953 email: info@ateliershimura.co.jp

[Tokyo Exhibition]
Date and time : December 1st (Friday) to December 3rd (Sunday) 11:00-17:00 *Closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays Venue: Atelier Shimura Shop & Gallery Seijo, Tokyo 2-20-7 Seijo, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-0066
Inquiries: tel: 03-6411-1215 email: info@ateliershimura.co.jp

<7th Anniversary Project Related Events>

[Seijo, Tokyo] Special workshop "Dyeing Mokkou Roses"

To celebrate the 7th anniversary of Atelier Shimura, we have prepared a special dye for yarn dyeing. The dye this time is Mokkobara, a plant that blooms profusely with pretty yellow or pale yellow flowers from spring to early summer. Enjoy your autumn holidays with the elegant color of roses.

Date and time: November 3rd (Friday, national holiday), 4th (Saturday), 5th (Sunday) 10:00-16:00 each day
venue Atelier Shimura Shop & Gallery Seijo, Tokyo
Participation fee: 16,500 yen (including materials and tax)
Capacity: 6 people per session

Click here for details and applications for November 3rd (Friday, national holiday)

For details and applications for Saturday, November 4th, click here

For details and to apply on November 5th (Sun) , click here

©︎mamikonaito

[Kyoto Main Store] Special Talk Event "Expressing Feelings through Color"
Mamiko Naito (color artist) × Masashi Shimura (representative of Atelier Shimura)

To celebrate the 7th anniversary of Atelier Shimura, we will be holding a talk event with color artist Mamiko Naito. Mamiko Naito uses traditional Japanese painting pigments made from natural materials to create her works, which she likens to the movement of the heart the diverse colors that spread across washi paper. We will hear her talk about expressing the heart through color and words, along with viewing her works and a demonstration. We will also have colorful sweets made by the Japanese confectionery shop Seiyo as souvenirs, specially created to match the theme of the 7th anniversary exhibition.

Date and time: Sunday, November 5th, 10:00-11:30
Venue: Atelier Shimura Shop & Gallery Kyoto Main Store
Participation fee: 2,750 yen (tax included) Includes a souvenir from the Japanese sweets shop Seiyo Maximum capacity: 15 people

For details and to apply, click here

Photo by Mamiko Naito ©️mamikonaito
Contemporary artist.
Born in Kobe, he grew up in various areas including Kanagawa, Aichi, Saitama, Chiba, and Hyogo due to his parents' work.
Graduated from Musashino Art University's Department of Design and Information Studies in 2006. In the same year, he began working as a designer at a graphic design office in Tokyo.
In 2009, he studied abroad in London and completed the Print making and Experimental Painting courses at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.
In 2012, he moved to Kyoto and began working as a color artist.
In 2013, he became a lecturer at Kyoto University of Arts (formerly Kyoto University of Art and Design).
https://www.mamikonaito.com/

Shoji Shimura (photo: Haruka Uesugi) Born in Kyoto City. Representative of Atelier Shimura, a dyeing and weaving brand that inherits the artistic spirit of Fukumi Shimura, a Living National Treasure of Tsumugi weaving. Special lecturer at Ars Shimura Art School.
Completed doctoral course at Kyoto University Graduate School of Law.
He produced the new Noh play "Okimiya" (based on the original work by Ishimure Michiko) twice, in 2018 and 2021.
In 2022, the original hand loom, Hatari, won the Good Design Award.
His books include "The Voice of Plants and Trees" (Kyoto Shimbun Publishing Center) and "Dreams Are Also Green" (Kawade Shobo Shinsha).


Japanese sweets shop Seiyo
The owner, Hiroko Aoyama, graduated from the Shiga University Faculty of Education's Art Teacher Training Course and then studied at the Kyoto Confectionery Technology College.
After that, he gained experience in sales and manufacturing at the court confectionery shop Oimatsu, and in 2012 he launched the Japanese confectionery shop Seiyo.
While her main focus is making custom-made Japanese sweets and teaching Japanese sweets, she also does a variety of other things related to Japanese sweets, such as giving lectures at educational institutions, planning workshops and exhibitions.
https://wagasiseiyou.com/

[Seijo, Tokyo] Special talk event " Rethinking Mingei
Takashi Kurata (Philosopher) × Masashi Shimura (CEO of Atelier Shimura)

Date and time: January 8, 2024 (Monday/Holiday) 14:00～15:30
venue Atelier Shimura Shop & Gallery Seijo, Tokyo
Participation Fee 1,650 yen (tax included)
Capacity: 20 people

For details and to apply, click here

Takashi Kurata
Philosopher. Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1970. Graduated from the Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies at Kyoto University. Currently an associate professor at the Faculty of Science and Technology at Meiji University. In recent years, he has questioned the state of thought in modern society from the perspective of local standards and intimacy. His publications include "Mingei no Intimacy: Designing 'Itoshisa'" (Meiji University Press, 2015). He appeared on the NHK Educational TV show "Shumi Doki! Watashi ga Sukina Mingei" (broadcast in 2018) as a Mingei "guide."
http://takashikurata.com/