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
