The embroidery is stitched with blue threads extracted from a fabric with a chequered pattern. The extracted blue threads initially constituted the lattice running across the embroidery, and they are still connected to the original fabric. Thus, there are no blue threads in the chequered grid, over which the embroidery is stitched. This work refers to an ancient Greek sculpture Hermes and the infant Dionysus. Hermes is holding the baby, Dionysus, wrapped up in a cloth, which has provided the source of inspiration for the stitched image in the centre. The reason why I chose the clothes of Dionysus for this work was to refer to the Apollonian and Dionysian discourse. The Dionysian perspective represents chaos and irrationality, whereas the Apollonian view symbolised by the lattice pertains to rationality and order.
grid – clothes of Dionysos
2008
Embroidery with blue threads extracted from readymade fabric
41 x 27.3 cm
Exhibited at
2008 Aiko Tezuka, Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company South Gallery, Tokyo, Japan