Loop of the Loom invites you to "Cloth of Time", a one-month event delving deep into the connection between ancient dyes, cloth, and humans.
Yutaka Obuchi, one of the world's few Bengala dye craftsmen and artists, will be invited from Japan to New York to hold five workshops including a lecture and exhibition of his work.

“My daily work is making pigments.
From the soil, I dye cloth, with the colors I've created.
Everyday I grind with care,
with mortar and pestle
till the particles are fine,
imaging as I work how they will intertwine with the fibers.
With fire produces various color through changes in temperature
This is the way of Bengala.
Yellow, orange, vermilion, red, burnt sienna…

When dyeing, I move my hands gently, vibrating the particles of soil tenderly.
Sometimes, I must knead with vigor, entwining the dye with fibers, a delicate embrace.
Working with hand is a dialogue with the materials.
With a gentle touch, the colors respond with grace,
With a troubled mind, the colors won't find their place.

Each day, I seek a tranquil mind,
as difficult as that may be.
What I hold dear is that I give my all in everything I do.
Embracing the wisdom from our ancestors,
Beyond mere fashion, beyond mere business,
Our ancestors crafted cloth for their children and loved ones,
dyeing and weaving by hand.
What humans devote to their craft is beautiful and brimming with life.
Tying, binding, folding, tapping, and dyeing the cloth.
The layers of processes absorb into the cloth creating a cloth of time, a cloth with soul.

From Japanese traditional skills to the ancient handcrafts of the world,
I embrace the spirit of the beautiful hand made which is disappearing.
To you and our children, I pass this textile art.
Marking new times, together, with our hands.”

Yutaka Obuchi