Beauty of Japan & Colors, Japanese Emotion
In developing this “Beauty of Japan & Colors” series, it all began with “Sukumo Ai” from the year before last. From there, we moved on to plant dyes and safflower, initially recognizing safflower as yellow. However, I was taught by a plant dyeing expert that safflower can produce a red color, and I learned that there is a 99% yellow and 1% red in it. It seems that the technique for extracting red from safflower has been established since ancient times, and it has been used not only in fabric dyeing but also in the vermilion color of torii gates and in lipstick.
While researching the “Mogami Hana Kurenai,” I came across the expression “Ni Ai.” I had also been interested in information about “Ai” (indigo) as part of Natio’s “Beauty of Japan & Colors” series, which started with Sukumo Ai.
“Ni Ai” refers to a unique Japanese color from the Heian period, a noble purple that was favored in garments and other attire. The dyeing process involved first dyeing with indigo and then overdyeing with safflower red, creating a color that was widely loved by people ranging from the young to the elderly, depending on the proportions of the two colors. The hue is not fixed but varies from a bright purple with a strong safflower red to a subdued purple with a strong indigo hue.
We sought the indigo material from Tokushima’s “Awa Ai” and the safflower material from Yamagata’s Mogami safflower, “Benimochi,” with the aim of recreating Japan’s traditional colors using Japanese materials and techniques.
Natio’s commitment is to passionately create by extracting and reproducing Japan’s colors with Japanese materials and the methods passed down from ancient times.
Safflower is harvested, then concentrated, fermented for the transformation from yellow to red, and finally “Benimochi” is created. From there, we extract colors from yellow to red, and even peach, to apply to beads and parts. These beads and parts are then used by designers and creators to express Japan’s traditional “Japanese Emotion” through bead jewelry, combining their sensibility and skills.
First and foremost, it is essential to create works with customers in mind, which is the foundation of a creator’s work. With sensibility and design, based on Japan’s textures, history, and stories, we hope to create works that can provide new topics and build a new world for designers and creators.
