Satin Route: Nishi Otsu

A neglected sheet of metal found in the bamboo forests of Nishi Otsu in Japan became the site of an artwork Satin Route (2003). The patient and gentle scratching into its matt surface patina with a tapestry needle was to discover a soothing accumulation of shinning marks, taking it deeper into a treasured object, akin to a shimmering bolt of satin: the reward of a simple process of repetition. Satin Route was part of a larger body of work created during the THROUGH THE SURFACE project, presenting the opportunity to work in Nishi Otsu for three months alongside the established textile artist Teruyoshi Yoshida. It was both an innovative and collaborative process of exchange of ideas, techniques and cultural experiences using textiles as the main medium of expression that we perceived on many different conceptual levels.