Furō :: Behance

This is a project on hand woven fabric swatches based off research and studies on an existing textile editor, to create a collection for them that brings out the essence of their work.

Editor: Ritsuko Hirai

Ritsuko Hirai is a print maker and textile designer born in Japan, raised in Kuala Lumpur.

Hirai gained experience and knowledge after attending the Rhode Island School of Design for printmaking and later returned to earn her Masters in Fine Arts for Textiles. (2008)

With her roots in Japanese culture, Hirai creates fabrics for apparel and interiors that, through their organic material and simple structures, integrate a quality that speaks of both of an ancient craft and a modern sensibility.

Her experience in printmaking specifically lithography and wood block printing, aided in a better understanding of textures and mediums used.

Her Inspiration:

“I get inspired by the little things that surround my everyday life–like cats, used kitchen towels, funny mugs at the thrift stores, old pots and pans, a nice cup of tea, bus rides, Steiff animals, empty museums, watching baby mantises hatching, making a dragonfly stay on the fingertip, gardening and tasting fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and egg plants. I do like to travel, near and far. I like when I am being transported between places, but being at the destination does not interest me too much. I prefer buses and trains over airplanes. Taking a walk is very nice too.”

She refers to fabric being “like water that has the power to transform, wrap, hide, be light like air, and be heavy and hard like ice, to bring us higher, to create a balanced space for both the nature and us.”

"Fabrics are like the water in different environments, when a piece of fabrics interacts with a human body, you can't really predict which one of the multiple facets it can become".

Being a printmaker originally, the core of her work is painting and drawing which she integrates into collections for apparel, interiors, knitting and surface design using the organic material of the fabric and simple structures.

"Painting and drawing allow me to observe and see the colors and textures of the reality, they also make me step back and be objective about my project".

Her motto is ‘To see and feel inspiration’ and gathers inspiration from little things surrounding everyday life.

http://ritsukohirai.com/

Ritsuko Hirai's textile work

I have chosen to create a collection based on the theme of transitional water, keeping in mind the relationship my editor shares with fabrics.

A transitional space is that which is located in-between outdoor and indoor environments, like a buffer space or a physical link.

Transitional water is defined as bodies of surface water in the vicinity of river mouths which are partially saline in nature as a result of their proximity to coastal waters but which are substantially influenced by fresh water flows.

I aim to create light weight, flowy fabrics with a sense of partial transparency that bring out space play, using her aesthetic of simple, structured, timeless fabrics, while also experimenting with colorways and a variation in the thickness of the yarns.