Sudo Reiko: Making NUNO Textiles
Exhibition at CHAT, Hong Kong
REPORT by Karin Altmann

REPORT and photos by KARIN ALTMANN, member of the Advisory Council of ETN

The solo exhibition of Sudo Reiko, running from 23 November 2019 to 1 March 2020 at CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts & Textile), honours the work of the internationally acclaimed Japanese textile designer and Design Director of NUNO Corporation, an innovative textile company in Tokyo.

Sudo Reiko is internationally known for producing innovative textiles by interweaving traditional Japanese textile techniques and aesthetics with new materials and technologies. Beyond using common textile materials such as cotton, silk, wool and polyester, she experiments with unconventional materials such as washi (traditional Japanese paper) or metal, and employs alternative applications of textile techniques including heating and needle punching. With the introduction of new designs, she has not only revived old Japanese textile machines and craftsmanship that are on the verge of disappearing, but has also dealt with the recycling and upcycling of textiles and the environmental impact of textile production. To address the problem of textile waste, she has often created new designs out of textiles damaged during the process of production. Her beautifully elaborate textiles are experimental yet highly practical, and have been used in a wide range of applications, from furnishings to clothing and accessories.

As a former cotton-spinning mill and now an independent art centre, founded in 2015 with the aim to weave creative experiences for all, CHAT offers an ideal setting for such an ambitious exhibition. Curated by CHAT’s co-director Takahashi Mizuki and supervised by Saito Seiichi, the Director of Rhizomatiks Architecture, the exhibition presents the creative process behind Sudo Reiko’s NUNO textiles through her drawings and sketches, raw materials and design prototypes, as well as video and immersive sound and visual installations.

In the entrance area of the Hall of The Mills, visitors are welcomed by an immersive installation designed by Adrien Gardère and showing over 80 colourful koinobori (carp streamers) floating in the air, all made of NUNO fabrics.

In the gallery rooms above, visitors can immerse themselves in the world of NUNO textiles and gain an insight into selected manufacturing processes in mini-stations that combine the audiovisual representation of machines, the physical movements of the craftspeople and the manufactured textiles.

The exhibition is an impressive audiovisual experience that illustrates the cycle from creative brainstorming to incorporating traditional skills to the new NUNO creations and is evidence of Sudo Reiko's deep respect and admiration for materials and craftsmanship.

More information: https://www.mill6chat.org/event/sudo-reiko-making-nuno-textiles