‘Closing and Opening’ through Weaving by Aiko Tezuka

Aiko Tezuka is a Berlin-based artist whose works often examine and visualise the time, identity and history of the people who wove yarns by untangling ready-made or self-designed textiles and creating new textile structures.

In one of her latest works, Closing and Opening (A Study of Bravery) – Tangled  (2024), she unravels and reconstructs jacquard textiles that she designed herself to explore Japan’s long period of national isolation (1639-1854), up to the nineteenth century when the country faced the need to open, and beyond that to the present day. In creating this work, she particularly focuses on the bravery both Japans required for their ‘closing’ and ‘opening’. For her, this ‘bravery’ is needed not only at the macro level, in interactions between nations, but also at the micro level of society, when individuals build interpersonal relationships.

In this talk, Tezuka shared with guests the ‘bravery’ she needed to continue producing works outside Japan, following her artistic journey, which she started in Japan before moving to the UK and Germany. She also guided us through some of her key works, including Closing and Opening (A Study of Bravery) – Tangled (2024), which has played an essential role in propelling her onto the international art scene.

 

Presentation by Aiko Tezuka

A recording of this event can be viewed here:

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