"Ai,” Japanese indigo dyeing, is unlike any other. Across the world, indigo has been cultivated and used in many ways, yet Japan has preserved a traditional method uniquely its own.
It uses sukumo—indigo leaves that are dried and fermented to create the dye. Through the power of natural chemical reactions, this process allows fabrics to retain their rich colors for centuries. In this way, Japan developed techniques not only for dyeing, but also for preserving works that endure through history.
Today, the natural blue of Ai has come to be widely loved worldwide, drawing renewed attention to this unique Japanese tradition.
Riku Matsuzaki is a young indigo artist and artisan who revived “Kyō-ai,” a Kyoto indigo tradition that had vanished for over 100 years.
At 22, he encountered the term “Japan Blue” while in New York and chose to pursue indigo dyeing. He apprenticed under Yukio Yoshioka, fifth-generation master of the 200-year-old dye workshop Someji Yoshioka. After Yoshioka’s passing, Matsuzaki began cultivating indigo on a 350 sq ft plot of land using traditional, chemical-free methods. Beginning with soil preparation and constantly engaging with living organic matter, he practices a sustainable cycle where even waste dye is returned to the soil. Through this, he arrived at an indigo that breathes with life. His works express both a blue that can endure for a thousand years and the vitality of the organic matter that gave birth to it.
Matsuzaki uses a beeswax resist-dye technique to create works on fabric, wall hangings, and apparel, presenting them both in Japan and overseas. 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.
At this exhibition, his works will be available for purchase, along with originally designed apparel (some available for pre-order).
