MS: It’s so special when you immediately resonate with an artform. What inspires you? What do you use as subject matter in your work?
EP: Gardening is a regular spring-fall activity and has had a large influence on my art and subject matter.
MS: Yes, you can see that in your work! I love how you presented several different takes on katazome in this show. What are some of the similarities and differences in approach to katazome that each of the artists in the exhibition take?
EP: Each artist brings a slightly different medium to this process, from using Japanese or Oaxaca indigo on different fibers to applying acrylics or natural pigments on paper. The artist’s approach is rooted in tradition, yet their own. Katazome is not a common process outside of Japan, so to have four artists living across the globe studying and using these traditional techniques, but also implementing local resources, allows them to grow their individual approach to this process.
MS: Why did you select the 3 other artists to show alongside your own work for the exhibition?
EP: I absolutely admire all their work and have for many years, but showing these three artists alongside each other also shows the versatility this stencil process carries. We all live outside of Japan and there isn’t really a katazome community outside of Japan. For us to study this process we must travel or research and experiment on our own.
These artists are truly dedicated to their craft and its visible in their work.
MS: Yes, you can certainly see the dedication and commitment to craft in all the work – the exhibition is truly stunning. What do you hope folks take away from the show?
EP: I think I want what many artists and craftsman want people to see in today’s world: as the pace of our world continues to speed up, we turn to our ancestors and all those who have come before us that dedicated their time to slow processes and we hope folks are able to understand the importance and value them.
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