TOMOHIRO SHIBUKI

PEOPLEText: Ayumi Yakura

Tomohiro Shibuki, a Tokyo-based textile designer and an artist, mainly creates artworks by needle wool felting. His works show the importance of thinking how his works should be exhibited in relationship with others. He creates artworks carefully by hands. They use the motif of simple natural things like stones or cloud. They guide his audience’s heart to the scene of unknown story. In these years, he had exhibitions in Tokyo, Kyoto, Taipei, Hong Kong and Paris. Then he will participate in “Art Fair Sapporo 2016” for the first time from Clark Gallery + SHIFT in end of November 2016. Moreover, he will hold a solo exhibition at the same gallery in January 2017. Now, he’s busy with preparing for the exhibition. We interviewed him about his past works and representation.。

tomohiroshibuki_poatrait

Please introduce yourself first.

I am an artist who creates some wool-artworks and a freelance textile designer.

You graduated Musashino Art University in 2012. What did you study there?

General method of textile basically since I wanted to study textile. I started felting for my wool-works when I was at the university.

Why do you wear two hats; as an artist and textile designer?

I often think that pattern designing and listening to materials are same representation to express myself, while the fields of textile design are diverse like fashion and interior. Firstly, designing is the work towards outside; act with many people. Secondly, art-creation is the work towards inside; see and talk to myself. Those two activities, designing and creating art works, always enhance each other in my brain. For me, it is really helpful that swaying to and fro between these two different kinds of activity keep good balance of creation in my works.

blue1
“blue”, 2014, 1,400 x 2,000 mm, Paper, Photo: Ayaka Horiuchi

You had exhibited artworks using paper in 2014. I can find your unique way of presentation through pictures in which your works caught.

Impressing audience visually is one of my great guiding principles of creation. Thinking about the process of exhibition is very important as much as the actual artworks itself. The work entitled “blue” is the photomosaic of “sea” using various photos of the seas and oceans of the world. The final vision of it is to overlay itself over the real horizontal line. Although I have had this vision at the initial stage of the work, I came to think it’s best to leave this work as. The work is done.

shibuki_in
“(in)”, 2014, 700 x 700 x 700 mm, Wool 100%, Photo: Ayaka Horiuchi

For you, what is the meaning of “Wool” as a material?

There are some reasons to use wool mainly for my artworks. First of all, it has unique tactile. Second, it’s deeply familiar to everyone. Third, it comes from nature. Wool is really great material for my works. I can use it without producing waste. For example, when there is wool remaining after I finished work, it can be used of for the core part of next artworks. Therefore I rarely throw away wool.

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