Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
The work of Chie Kurahashi Goldsmith is on display at Gallery Saratoga.
Gallery Saratoga exhibits a new spin on an old art
By Shari Kaplan
The featured exhibit for March at Gallery Saratoga is a collection of art that is both very old and very new. According to the artist, San Jose resident Chie Kurahashi Goldsmith, katazome has been a traditional Japanese craft for many centuries, yet it was not really considered an art form until recently.
Roughly translated, kata refers to stencils used to create various patterns, and zome is a specialized dyeing technique using natural dyes and pigments. Goldsmith, who studied katazome under professional artists in her native Japan, says it appealed to her as an art form because of its emphasis on balance, rhythm and patience.
Before she creates a katazome, Goldsmith envisions patterns and images in her mind, transfers them to paper stencils, and lays the stencils out in just the right pattern. She uses silk textiles, or washi, a type of paper, for this, then chooses her dye colors and fills the designs in with the dyes.
"It's a very traditional technique and very old--about 500 years. I think we need to learn the very basic techniques from the past first, then we can go on to other types of creativity," she says.
"This technique requires having a lot of patience," adds Goldsmith, who plies her craft in her home kitchen. "The designs have to connect or balance in some way. This connection is very important, just like people have to be able to connect with each other. I like to make beautiful connections on paper, which are just like those in our life--beautiful."
Although Goldsmith's works at Gallery Saratoga consist of greeting cards, banner-like wall hangings and framed images, katazome is also used for kimonos, blouses, scarves or ties. In fact, Goldsmith teaches classes in this technique at Hakone Gardens.
At Gallery Saratoga, the majority of Goldsmith's katazome pieces reflect the beauty of nature and the outdoors. Forget-me-nots, fuchsias, lilies, roses and hydrangeas are among the flowers she portrays, sometimes brightly, sometimes in muted tones.
"Sheep in the Valley" shows a rural respite along a country road, but "Music: Beyond the Time and Space," on first glance, looks almost like a medieval tapestry. Dozens of small and large squares are filled with images of musical instruments, some of them quite archaic. In the middle are gracefully flying birds and flowers.
Gallery Saratoga is at 14531 Big Basin Way, Unit 3. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
