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Indulge in Culture #2 Kinsai Workshop @ Kyoto <Event Report>

An irregular workshop "Enjoying culture" held by renacnatta. Renakunatta develops items using traditional crafts , but we are planning workshops where you can not only wear them, but also experience the production background more closely and realistically.

The theme of this workshop, kinsai, is a traditional craft technique that is said to have been established from the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the early Edo period. Renac Natta has collaborated with Natsuko Ueda, a gold painter and artist based in Kyoto, to develop products with gold paint on Italian silk.

Ear accessories Kinsai Collection wearing traditional Kyoto craft "Kinsai"

In this workshop, Mr. Ueda was invited as a lecturer, and the experience of applying gold color to Italian silk, just like Renacnatta's products, was carried out. We will report on what kind of works the participants made and enjoyed.

Why do fashion brands have workshops?

There is a reason Renaknatta holds workshops. The keyword of the event, “Enjoying culture,” is exactly the word that embodies our thoughts .

From the beginning of the launch of the brand, Renacnatta wanted to be a brand that spreads "wearing culture" rather than just "selling fashion" . The word “wearing culture” comes from the desire to protect the universal value that traditional crafts have inherited over the years and leave them for future generations.

Through social media and articles, we have been disseminating how the items developed by the brand are made and by what kind of people.

But... "seeing" is really "seeing is worth seeing" .

I've always had the frustration of wanting to share with customers what the hands are actually doing, and that it's even more amazing when you see it up close.

We hope that customers and craftsmen will connect with each other, learn more about the actual manufacturing site and its difficulties, and become more fond of the traditional crafts that decorate the Renacnatta items you purchase. Also, I would like to become a brand that can come into contact with "culture" from various perspectives, connect them, and grasp them in a big way.

<Report> Workshop to Experience the Technique of Kinsai

This workshop will be held at FabCafe Kyoto in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto. The space is a renovated wooden building that is over 100 years old, and is usually used as a space for cafes and digital machine tools.

First of all, Mr. Okochi, the representative of Renac Natta, and Mr. Ueda, who is the lecturer this time, greeted everyone who gathered at the venue.

Among the many techniques of gold painting, you can experience two techniques called “tsutsugaki” and “embossing” . First of all, everyone will challenge from "embossing".

The "embossing" starts with making a mold, but this time I chose the motif of birds and feathers that Mr. Ueda had prepared in advance.

Once you have decided on the pattern, carefully place the glue on the pattern paper and let it dry until it becomes transparent.

Once the glue has dried, the foil is finally placed. Choose your favorite color from the provided foil, such as gold, silver, blue, or pink, and gently cover it with glue.

Rub it with a tissue and transfer the gold leaf to the glue. At first, they rub the gold leaf gently and quietly, but after receiving advice from Mr. Ueda, "It's okay to rub harder."

After rubbing enough, gently peel it off. When you flip while pounding ......

The gold leaf has been applied beautifully!

When they see the glittering gold leaf on top, they can't help but exclaim, "Wow!" By repeating the process of applying more gold leaf from here, the gold leaf will be evenly applied.

“Tsutsugaki” is similar to applying gold leaf on glue, but the first step is to practice drawing. When I started practicing drawing straight lines on a tissue, I heard many people say, "It's so difficult to draw a clean line!" A voice says.

The person who has grasped the feeling of drawing on a tissue will actually draw a line on Italian silk. At this time, everyone was working seriously and silently.

Mr. Ueda walks around the table during the work and carefully teaches you the tricks of “tsutsugaki” and how the glue dries.

Everyone gradually gets used to Tsutsudaki, and the work speed increases. The design is also different for each person, and various lines have emerged on the Italian silk, such as tracing patterns and writing letters.

And while the glue is drying, it's time to enjoy Mr. Ueda's demonstration.

The delicate and precise technique made the participants sigh with emotion. There was also a voice saying, ``When you see the demonstration after doing it yourself, you can understand the amazingness of the craftsman again.''

After the demonstration is over, the workshop will come to an end. Once the final glue has dried and the foil is pasted, it's complete!

Everyone talks happily while looking at the finished gold color.

“I was worried about how the paste would look like, but when I put the gold leaf on it, it felt good.”
"It was more difficult than I thought to draw the lines, but it was a lot of fun."

Also, thank you to everyone who posted the workshop participation report on social media.



Please enjoy the gold color that you brought home, such as putting it in your forehead and decorating it at home.

In addition, Mr. Ueda suggested using the pattern paper and foil used on the day to enjoy the gold color at home again.


In everyday life, there are not many opportunities to come into contact with traditional craft techniques and feel familiar with them.

However, at the time when all traditional crafts were born, they were born from the simple and single-minded desire of people living in that era to create purely beautiful and good things.

In fact, when I see things that have survived through the ages, I am taken aback by the intricateness of their techniques and the beauty of their works. Through this workshop, I hope that you will feel more familiar with Kinsai.

We will continue to organize workshops on a regular basis. If you are interested, I would be happy if you could participate.

***

Writing and editing: Eri Yoshida

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