Colour Theatre: Taiwan Fiber Crafts
2022 London Craft Week
2022倫敦工藝週 「色彩劇場-臺灣纖維工藝展」

Colour Theatre: Taiwan Fiber Crafts

2022 London Craft Week

 

7-15 May 2022, 11am-6pm

OXO Gallery (Oxo Tower Wharf Barge House Street SE1 9PH)

 

Colour Theatre: Taiwan Fiber Craft is curated by Pi-Shan WU, the assistant professor of Tainan National University of the Arts, Graduate Institute of Applied Arts. In Colour Theatre, the concept of “colour”originates from rich natural plants in the environment of Taiwan. Each of various native plants has its own inherent personality and distinctive colour that tells its expression. Thanks to Taiwan’s unique environment and climate, natural resource abundance provides opportunities for people to take on experiments boldly and freely in the natural dyeing process. Meanwhile, natural dyeing reflects Taiwanese people’s respect for nature, sustainability, balance, diversity, circulation, tolerance, and vitality.

 

Having more than 30 years of history, the development of natural dyeing in Taiwan initially followed a tradition of fiber crafts, that is, to use natural materials such as true indigo, turmeric, and subrostrate crape myrtle; dyes were extracted from roots, stems, fruits, peels, flowers or leaves of these local plants to produce vegetable colours that reflected their native environments. Organic substances were also extracted from animal bodies that coloured fibers and other materials. For example, the red dye extracted from cochineals produced a vibrant animal colour. In addition, particles such as mud, loess, ink, and carbon were used to make pigments, creating mineral colours that bound the features of mountains and rivers. In the process of development, people gradually had more discussions on the contemporary trends in environmental friendliness and protection, expanding influence of natural dye techniques on society. A diversity of local colours, coupled with the concept of ecological sustainability, has become important nutrients for young craftsmen in the creation and exploration of contemporary fiber art.

 

Borrowing the imagery of theatre, Colour Theatre uses the three elements of theatre (i.e., actors, space, and audience) to interpret the overall atmosphere of the exhibition. Taking the role of actors, works shape the inner expression of natural colours; space is created with Taiwan’s landform that features a diversity of natural colours, and with the active participation of the audience in the exhibition, a perfect colour performance is achieved. The exhibition unites the interpretation of Colour Theatre with the physical routes of the theatre and the concept of space transformation. The space is designed using the three representatives of Taiwanese culture, namely, Tea Ceremony, Calligraphy and Drawing Room, and Open-air Stage, allowing the audience to follow the colours and move about in this unique U-shaped exhibition. Like roaming around frontstage and backstage in the theatre, the audience can interact with the colours of diverse species extracted from the environment of Taiwan and feel their personalities and characteristics of Taiwan they convey, enjoying the uniqueness of Taiwanese culture nourished by the natural environment.

Closely linked to the display of works, the formation of Tea Ceremony, Calligraphy and Drawing Room, and Open-air Stage conveys the cultural significance of fiber crafts in Taiwan. Tea Ceremony discusses the tea-drinking culture in Taiwan. It uses aesthetic accessories such as table runners, tea mats, and tea towels to show the beauty and delicacy of natural dyeing. Calligraphy and Drawing Room visualizes the artistic conception of writing and painting with dyed paper, dyes, and pigments to show how people can live an aesthetic life with natural dye works. Open-air Stage, by playing different fiber dyeing documentaries, introduces the local strengths of natural fibers and dyes in Taiwan and how craftsmen take advantage of natural resource abundance to explore and create natural dye works.

 

The works on display present the ample capacity for Taiwan’s natural dyeing development and its infinite possibilities from three perspectives. First, a group of Taiwanese scholars who specialize in dyeing techniques have long conducted research on the colours and dyeing of local plants and soil in Taiwan, contributing greatly to the development of natural dyeing. The second dimension of the source of works comes from brands or industries that start from the traditional craft industry by promoting natural and organic innovative concepts to pursue further breakthroughs in aesthetics or an attempt to enhance the mass production of naturally dyed products. The third dimension of the work presents a new generation of young artisan, using different media to challenge the creation of installations, sculptures, and other diverse method, showing the unique artistic practice of natural dyeing technology.

 

Taiwan’s unique environment has nurtured a wealth of natural resources from mountains and rivers and oceans to land and vegetation. Locally sourced materials can be extracted to make vegetable colours, mineral colours, or animal colours, creating a wide spectrum of colours in natural dyeing. This gives designers, craftsmen, and scholars opportunities to create natural dye works and research freely and boldly with their creativity. In the process of passing down Taiwan fiber crafts, they incorporate contemporary issues (e.g., environmental friendliness, natural or organic lifestyle, diversity, and tolerance) and imagination of sustainable futures into the works, allowing natural dyeing to be used in people’s everyday life in various forms and with infinite possibilities.

 

“Welcome to Colour Theatre to explore the beauty of natural dyeing performed by a group of enthusiastic designers, craftsmen, and scholars using the abundant natural resources in Taiwan.”

 

Workshop Booking Via Email: isstar@aceforum.com.tw

(per workshop 15 places, FREE)

13 May, 2pm-4pm “Indigo Dyeing for Table Runner”

14 May, 2pm-4pm “Indigo Dyeing for Woven Shibori”

15 May, 2pm-4pm “Soil Dyeing for Pocket Square”

 

2022 London Craft Week Website:

https://www.londoncraftweek.com/events/colour-theatre-taiwanese-fibre-crafts/

 

 

2022倫敦工藝週 「色彩劇場–臺灣纖維工藝展」

 

本次展覽委由臺南藝術大學應用藝術研究所助理教授吳佩珊擔任策展人，「色彩劇場」中「色」的發想概念來自於臺灣自然環境中豐富的天然植物，多元的本土植物擁有千變萬化的「自然個性」且展現其各自獨樹一幟的「色彩表情」。臺灣獨特的環境及氣候孕育了豐富的自然資源，提供天然染色工藝進行大膽自由嘗試的多元機會，同時在天然染色工藝中體現自然、永續、平衡、多元、循環、寬容與生命力並蓄的「臺灣特質」。

 

追溯臺灣天然染色發展，已有超過三十多年的歷史，研究的脈絡從最初重返傳統纖維工藝中取材大自然的概念。例如運用如木藍、薑黃、九芎等多元在地植物，自根、莖、果實、果皮、花或葉中提煉萃取染料，產生帶有原生環境氣候色澤的「植物色」。或從動物軀體中提取能使纖維和其他材料著色的有機物質，如從胭脂蟲體內取得紅色染料產生富有生命力「動物色」。另以泥染、黃土染、墨染、碳染等粒子染材製作顏料，產生緊密連結山川地貌的「礦物色」。更在研究發展過程逐步提升對環境的友善議題及保護意識等當代思潮的討論，讓天然染色工藝研究擴大社會影響力，讓多元豐富的在地色彩與對生活環境共生永續的理念，成為孕育年輕工藝家進行當代纖維藝術創作及探索的重要養分。

 

策展主題「色彩劇場」挪用劇場的意象，以劇場中三要素：「演員」、「空間」、「觀眾」串接演繹展場整體氛圍，以作品擔任「演員」角色，形塑天然色的內在表情，孕育天然色的臺灣地貌風土建構「空間」，並由觀展「觀眾」的盡情投入，共同成就一齣完美的色彩表演。展覽以劇場行徑的實體線條和空間轉換概念來統整對色彩劇場的演繹。以「茶席」、「書畫間」 、「野臺」等三個具有臺灣文化意象的空間進行概念發想，將具體的文化空間進行想像串連，讓色彩與觀眾在本次獨特的「ㄇ」字型展覽空間中進行轉折、流動與穿梭，觀展動線有如遊走於劇場中的「前臺」、「中臺」及「後臺」間，相互實驗碰撞並感受取材臺灣環境中多元物種的「自然個性」、「色彩表情」與背後所傳達的「臺灣特質」，展現自然環境與土地所滋養出的臺灣文化獨特性。

 

展出作品從三個思考向度呈現臺灣天然染色工藝當今發展的充沛能量與對持續探索未來的無限可能。第一向度來自一群臺灣專精於「染色工藝」研究的學者如曾啟雄及廖倫光，長期針對臺灣在地植物、泥土進行色彩與染色考究，成就天然染色豐厚的文化底蘊。第二向度來自品牌如設計師洪麗芬(Sophie Hong)作品或產業界如「FREE」(輝盟國際股份有限公司)及「太平藍Taiping Blue」從產業出發，自傳統工藝中加入推廣自然、有機等創新概念，共同追求美學的更進一步突破或提升將天然染色產品量產的嚐試。而作品第三向度希望呈現新一代青年工藝家們，運用不同媒材，挑戰以裝置、雕塑等更多元方式進行創作，展現對天然染色工藝獨特藝術性之實踐。

 

臺灣獨特的自然環境，從山、河、海洋、土地至一草一木，皆孕育豐富的自然資源寶藏供挖掘，透過在地取材，皆能與天然染色中「植物色」、「礦物色」或「動物色」互相對話，成就廣泛豐富的色譜變化。除了提供設計師、工藝師與天然染色學者自由大膽發揮創意進行創作及研究的機會外，也在傳承臺灣工藝精神中加入友善環境、自然有機與多元包容等當代議題與對未來永續發展的想像，讓天然染色工藝進入生活空間運用，呈現生生不息的多元創作面貌。

 

 

「歡迎大家進入色彩劇場，探索由一群熱情投入的設計師、工藝師與學者，運用臺灣這塊寶島上豐富自然資源所共同演繹的天然染色工藝之美」

 

 

展覽日期: 2022/05/07-05/15

開放時間: 11:00am-18:00pm

展覽及工作坊地點: 英國倫敦 OXO Gallery (Oxo Tower Wharf Barge House Street SE1 9PH)

工作坊預約email: isstar@aceforum.com.tw

(工作坊每場次提供15位名額，免費參加)

5月13日 下午2-4時 「藍染桌旗」

5月14日下午2-4時 「藍染絞茶墊」

5月15日下午2-4時 「泥染方巾」

 

倫敦工藝週活動網址:

https://www.londoncraftweek.com/events/colour-theatre-taiwanese-fibre-crafts/