CONTACT ・ Yuichi Hirose
Website (English): Hirose Dyeworks
Instagram: @yuichi.hirose
Japancraft21: Email Us
"Kamishimo" ceremonial costume worn by samurai marks the beginning of Edo Komon, a world of minimal patterns.
It looks plain from a distance, yet surprisingly full of delicate and sensitive design when looked at closely.
Born in Tokyo in 1978, Yuichi HIROSE is a 4th-generation master stencil dyer, living and working in the same house in Tokyo as his great-grandfather did. In addition to his passion for surfing, he competed in the Sydney Olympics in 1980 in windsurfing. After graduating from university, he began his work as a traditional stencil dyer, fulfilling his dream of eventually taking over the family business. He has long held the vision of introducing Edo komon stencil dyeing around the world, and has been actively participating in exhibitions in Japan and abroad to that end, as well as by launching his brand of Edo komon-dyed silk stoles called “comment?”
It is my intention to revitalize silk stencil dying for generations to come with an advanced technique using newly designed, hand-made stencils that are superimposed onto antique Edo-period (1604-1848) stencils, resulting in dynamic new patterns.
This traditional Japanese stencil dyeing technique, known for tiny, finely detailed patterns, dates back to the 1100s. The large and striking motif patterns applied to samurai armor and equipment in those early years eventually evolved into the small, refined designs we know today. Beginning in the 1600s, the dye technique was used to adorn the formal clothing of elite samurai, with unique patterns and colors representing each feudal clan that helped establish their clan identity and loyalty. When the Shogun government imposed laws restricting the wearing of ostentatious clothing among the increasingly wealthy merchant class, people avoided the laws by showing off their wealth through the subtlety and impeccable craftsmanship of Edo Komon. Japanese stencil dyeing profoundly influenced the development of French Silk Screen and European printed textiles.
The Edo Komon process begins with hand-carved stencils from Japanese washi paper that are treated and aged with persimmon tannin to increase their durability and longevity. One stencil can be used to dye up to 20 kimono. A paste made from rice and lime is applied through stencils onto fabric and acts as a resist to the textile dye that is later applied. The fabric is then steamed to set the dye evenly before the excess dye is removed through washing. Edo Komon dyers are known for their impeccable precision in seamlessly dying a 13-meter roll of silk by repeatedly moving the small paper pattern up to ninety times to complete a work,
CONTACT ・ Yuichi Hirose
Website (English): Hirose Dyeworks
Instagram: @yuichi.hirose
Japancraft21: Email Us