Born 1941 in Tokyo
Lives and works in Kyoto, Japan
Chiyoko Tanaka is a weaver who sees her work as part of a continuum reflecting the tradition of the woven silk textiles of Kyoto. The process of weaving is central to her work, the act of weaving being an accumulation of weft threads, representing time passing. Once woven, the cloth is laid on the ground and Tanaka commences to rub the fabric over and over with particular tools like brick or white stone. This is a process she describes as ‘Grinding’. An additional colouring effect is achieved by the application of certain soils or charcoal.
Text excerpt: transitionandinfluenceprojects.com, University for the Creative Arts