I’m so pleased to serve as the guest speaker at the Weavers and Spinners Society of Austin (WSSA), Texas USA meeting on Thurs., October 11, 2018 at 7 pm. My presentation is entitled “Weaving and Dyeing in the Colorful Spirit of an Ancient Craft”.
The highlights of the presentation include an overview of the textile culture of the Ryukyu Islands, Okinawa-Japan. Okinawa is a group of semi-tropical islands located south of mainland Japan and north of Taiwan. Although a province of Japan, Okinawa maintains its own distinct culture. Over centuries of trade with China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia and the Pacific Islands, Okinawa has developed its own unique cultural mix, popularly called “champuru”, which is reflected in its exquisite textiles.
Okinawa has strong local traditions that include matriarchal shamanism, a close connection with nature and the world’s best longevity statistics. These connections are embedded in Ryukyu bashofu banana fiber cloth, hand-dyed bingata textiles, Ryukyu Ai (indigo) dyed cloth, and handwoven Shuri Ori and Ryukyu Kasuri textiles.
I look forward to sharing these unique and beautiful Ryukyu narratives on cloth with you! My best, Scharine
Scharine Kirchoff, Fiber Artist 