Reviving Old Objects, Deepening Connections: An Ikkanbari and Kakishibu Workshop

​*Participants will bring two pre-selected items from their home (photo to be emailed to organizing team in advance to confirm appropriateness for workshop). The items can be paper boxes, small wooden furniture, wooden baskets, trays, chopsticks, straw hats/bags, small lengths of fabric, etc

Together, we’ll uncover the hidden beauty in old and broken objects from our homes. As we tear, glue, and paint in community, we’ll breathe new life into our possessions and become more attuned to how they will evolve over time.

Kakishibu workshops like this are rare in the U.S., primarily due to the challenges and costs of sourcing the traditional persimmon dye from Japan. This is a unique opportunity to explore the versatility and beauty of kakishibu firsthand, using materials that have traveled all the way from Japan to the gallery space.

Participants will leave with a sense of awe for their renewed objects and deeper ties with those who shared in this creative experience.

​Ikkanbari is the traditional Japanese craft of layering washi paper on bamboo baskets or wood and finishing it with kakishibu (persimmon tannin dye) or lacquer.

​Ikkanbari reinforces the basket/wood by making it more durable, water resistant, anti-bacterial, and insect-repelling. This craft was used as a practical tool in ordinary people’s homes in order to mend broken baskets or trays and for making things like water resistant umbrellas.

Kakishibu is a fermented persimmon dye known for its preservative, waterproof, antibacterial, and insect-repellent properties. It has been used for a wide variety of items, such as fabrics, lacquerware, paper, fishing nets, furniture, umbrellas, and even for clarifying sake. It is an ideal protectant to coat wood because it does not obstruct the wood's ability to breathe and preserves its lifespan with added beauty.

​Kakishibu is made by harvesting green unripe shibugaki (a type of persimmon), crushing it in a mortar, and mixing with water. After a few days the solution is pressed and the liquid is collected. This liquid is left for several years to ferment before it is ready to be used.