kinunomai

Ashigara embroidery

Kikuaki Ueda Work collection

"Kinu no Mai"

This work collection has been chosen from 40 masterpieces from his long activities(25years) This is the first work collection.

A4・48pages(40 masterpieces)
price:$25.00 (plus shipping cost)

You can buy this in the Hirai bookstore in Odawara City.

I used to use this atelier for my work at least 10 hours a day but now this room is for nursing care for my wife and I’m working in the room next to her now.

Ashigara embroidery Kikuaki Ueda 5

━ How much time does it take to create ?
It depends on the size but it takes about 300 hours to create 45-53 centimeters (The size is No.10). Usually, I spend about 10 to 12 hours a day.
In small works, a line is composed of about three threads per 1 millimeter I use them to make flowers. Therefore, even if it is a small flower, it takes 3 days. So the price increases.
I get inquiries from Hakone's souvenir and other shops about them, but they add some money to my price (the cost is more than 100,000 yen) so that people don't ordinarily buy them.
Recently, I’ve been thinking it is better to keep them because I want to leave them for the coming ages.
But I am troubled about how to afford to live.
━ Even now, can you get the material easily?
To gather the material is very hard. I order the special thread for Ashigara embroidery from a shop.
I must order a fairly large quantity not just a small amount.
I use a white base thread and without asking the shop to make it, Ashigara embroidery would collapse.
━ Is perfect timing with your wife necessary when embroidering on the Kimono?
Yes, it is very hard, the cloth itself stretches by about 3 centimeters when pulled tight on a stand.
Therefore, when removed from the stand it shrinks by 3 centimeters. So if I use the line or flower which is the wrong size (Even if it’s 1 millimeter different) I can not make a good picture.
The good thing is that my wife can do such handwork so we can make it with perfect timing.
━ Please give some advice for people who try to live as artists now?
It may be difficult but an artists life is hard. Your work may not sell easily and you might not get enough money to live.
For nearly 40 years, I have worked in the craft society every day without working in others, it has given me confidence. I think that handwork is really hard and you can't be a real artist in 10 or 15 years. Even though, you might become famous or teach somebody, When you start out if you don't have technique,
you can’t continue for very long.
If you want to become an artist, you have to commit a lot of time. Also your name must be popular. It is very hard . You have to work very hard then you become an artist. You might be 50 years old by that time.

pege top


These are the people who supported this Aori project.

[Print cooperation] Bunkado print Co.Ltd. [Transration cooperation] Kidsman English / Yuji Koma,Shane Pole

[Odawara City] KAGOSEI Co.Ltd / Hirai Bookstore Co.Ltd / Takahashi construction Co.Ltd / izumi jewery Shimano / cut salon e-hair / space experiment atelier FACTORY[Minami Ashigara]Pixera Co.Ltd [Kaisei Town]Osakana Shokubou Wahanaza [Manazuru Town] Junksnet [Ninomiya Town]Kojima dental clinic [Yokohama City]Medicare.Co.Ltd.