Indigo: Sharing blue
Indigo: Sharing blue is a research project on the application of indigo and the specific textile techniques that resulted from it. In Japan, natural indigo is still frequently used whereas in Europe it has virtually disappeared with the invention of the synthetic indigo at the end of the nineteenth century. In Japan, the crafts are still highly rated and are closely linked to the society and the way of life. However, there is hardly any innovation. In the Netherlands, the profound knowledge of the techniques may be disappearing, but there is indeed plenty of innovation. This crafts exchange was a great opportunity for both cultures to learn from each other.
After a successful and well-attended exhibition during the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, the indigo studies by makers/designers Aliki van der Kruijs, Liselore Frowijn, Adrianus Kundert and Maaike Gottschal are now exhibited on the island where Japan and the Netherlands met in the seventeenth century.
Kyushu is the cradle of a centuries-long interaction between the two different cultures that come together in the project Indigo: Sharing blue. In Japan, research is continued into the ways in which this crafts exchange can be extended and reinforced, through encounters with existing and new partners.
400 Years Holland-Kyushu
The contacts between the Netherlands and Kyushu date back to the seventeenth century, when a seed was planted for mutual curiosity which continues to flourish until the present day. In 2016 and 2017 this will be celebrated with the cultural cooperation program Holland-Kyushu.