Below text is from (S8) Mostra Internacional de Cinema Periférico film festival in A Coruña.

You are bringing a work in progress, Asanoha, based on the Kumiko Japanese craft. How did you discover Kumiko and what made you think about translating this idea into cinema? How has this work evolved?

I was familiar with the pattern Asanoha through another Japanese craft called Sashiko, a kind of embroidery skill for fabric repair. When I was looking into local traditions at an artist-residency at Center in Japan, I came across Kumiko that uses the same patterns but with different functions. Kumiko is an amazing traditional wood-latticework that has been around for hundreds of years. Delicate repeated geometric patterns crafted in ultra-thin pieces of cypress wood skilfully put together without nails to create large panels traditionally used for sliding door screens or dividers to diffuse light and wind in living spaces. Toyoda-san, a Kumiko craftsman who I was introduced to, says it all begins with exact equilateral triangles. He showed us how it is made and the evolution of the craft. The skills and knowledge in the qualities of this technique developed over centuries carried down to today’s artisans enabling them to make delicate and powerful effects. I find similarities in Kumiko to the process for film craft. 

I had a few ideas on how I can translate this onto film. I decided to use the idea of Steve Farrer’s 10 Drawings as a start. Strips of clear 16mm film are laid into a rectangle and the pattern of Asanoha (Hemp leaf) is drawn onto it. I did the same using 16mm black film but this time scratched the pattern into its emulsion. The lines are drawn and scratched over to the soundtrack side of the films as well. They were later joined back into two reels, one with clear film and one with black film. I screened a version at Center, to the local community in Kanuma City in March this year. Since then, I have developed this work further but it’s still not completely finished. This second work-in-progress screening of Asanoha will be shown for the first time outside Japan at (S8) Film Festival.

Below is a performance with Tsukasa Takahashi that include exerpts from Asanoha and Washi #2.