!Nature in Amami Ōshima! - Toi MAHARA gallery for the Kāpiti Coast

15 February–1 June, 2025

Te Manawa Toi | Coastlands Gallery

above: Yukihito Kanai, Nine Scenes, 2021

Visiting international artist Yukihito Kanai presents two heirloom kimono, paper wall hangings and contemporary garments using the ancient craft of dorozome, a mud-dyeing technique, unique to the Japanese island of Amami Ōshima.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Deane Endowment Trust.

above: selection of vintage *tsumugi haori* by Yukihito Kanai in collaboration with Samiito Kobo (Kagoshima) and on the wall is an asa-gara furoshiki by Yukihito Kanai. Image: Janet Bayly.

above left to right: two Ōshima Tsumugi Tanmono and *Hego*, Yukihito Kanai in collaboration with Shohei lida. Image: Janet Bayly.

Selected works are for sale. For more information, please visit the gallery or email us on info@toimahara.nz.

Kāpiti Tanabata arts collaboration

above: streamers created from natural bamboo, silk organza, muka, cotton, harakeke thread, paua shells, natural-dyed colours: madder, indigo, raurekau, harakeke, kōwhai, rosemary and black water-based ink fish prints (*gyotaku*)

This Tanabata artwork is part of a cultural exchange project. Six Kāpiti artists were invited to collaborate with Yukihito Kanai from Japan in a workshop to bring their wishes together on natural-dyed silk and cotton streamers.

The artists involved were Vaune Mason, Birgit Moffatt, Tim Li, Adrienne Riseley, Adrienne Spratt and Clare Smith.

Watch: Tanabata: A New Zealand – Japan natural dyeing arts exchange, a short film which documents this collaboration. Filmed by Dick van den Oever and supported by the Kāpiti Creative Communities Scheme.