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Sunday, September 28
11:00am - 4:00pm

Loop of the Loom - DUMBO
197 Plymouth St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Living Kyō-ai Indigo & Beeswax Resist Dyeing Workshop

Regular price $250.00
Unit price
per 

- SOLD OUT-  PLEASE EMAIL FOR WAITLIST -

Loop of the Loom is honored to host a special lecture and hands-on workshop with Kyoto indigo artisan Riku Matsuzaki
, exploring the depth and beauty of Japanese indigo dyeing.

This workshop, held at the Dumbo studio, combines a hands-on dyeing experience with a lecture, featuring the same talk as at the UES studio on September 27. If you wish to both learn and experience, this is the ideal choice.

In the morning session, participants will practice indigo dyeing with Kyō-ai, cultivated and produced by Riku Matsuzaki himself, sent from Japan, and fermented at Loop of the Loom. Each participant will choose to dye either a tenugui scarf or a bandana, learning the ancient hand-drawn resist-dyeing technique using 100% organic beeswax. If you are already familiar with shibori patterns, this is the perfect opportunity to expand your skills with this technique. Through this process, participants can freely draw patterns with beeswax and reveal the luminous, transparent beauty unique to Kyō-ai blue.

While the indigo-dyed pieces are drying, participants will join the lecture.

Whether you are an experienced dyer, a lover of Japanese crafts, or simply curious to try something new, this workshop invites you to dive into the living world of indigo.

Price: $250 (includes the cost of material $75)

This event is part of New York Textile Month 2025.

https://matsuzakiriku.com/
@matsuzaki_riku

If you cannot reserve your spot from the link button, please contact us.

Cancellation Policy:

You may transfer your reservation to a replacement participant at no charge to avoid an empty seat.
- The material cost of $75 is non-refundable once your reservation is made.
- A 50% cancellation fee will apply if you cancel within 72 hours of the workshop.
- A 75% cancellation fee will apply if you cancel within 48 hours of the workshop.
- No refund will be provided for cancellations made within 24 hours of the workshop.

MEET THE ARTIST

Riku Matsuzaki

Riku Matsuzaki is a young indigo artist and craftsman who revived “Kyo-ai,” a lost Kyoto indigo dye tradition that had vanished for over 100 years. In 2013, he was struck by the term “Japan Blue” while in New York and chose to pursue dyeing. He apprenticed under Yukio Yoshioka, the fifth-generation master of a 200-year-old Kyoto dye house. After Yoshioka’s passing, Matsuzaki began cultivating indigo on a 3,200 sq ft plot of land using traditional, chemical-free methods. He practices a sustainable cycle where even waste dye is returned to the soil. In 2024, he was selected as one of Forbes JAPAN’s 30 Culturepreneurs and collaborated with Valextra at Daimaru Department Store in Japan, as well as with Moleskine in Italy.

"Kyō-ai zome, which uses fermentation, produces color through the activity of microorganisms. Invisible microorganisms in the dye vat are like humans seen from the sky– they become indistinguishable. When viewed from space, all organisms unite into one. The world of microorganisms in Kyō-ai is expressed through colors imbued with life.

Bearing the weight of Japan’s history and traditions, and having revived Kyō-ai indigo, it is necessary to pass on its existence to the next generation. To ensure Kyō-ai is remembered after my death, I leave traces of Kyō-ai as art." -Riku Matsuzaki

https://matsuzakiriku.com

Instagram: @matsuzaki_riku