LE16 - Aesthetics of Stitching from a Sashiko Artisan - Why Do We Stitch.

Aesthetics can be defined as one’s appreciation of beautiful things. We choose to stitch in a society where we can purchase something already stitched. Is there any link between our choice & Sashiko’s Aesthetics? What is the philosophy behind the stitching for a Sashiko Artisan like Atsushi who has been hand-stitching throughout his life? Why does he even still practice Sashiko? This lecture introduces Atsushi’s Sashiko, starting from his childhood to today’s form of stitching and why he is teaching Sashiko in English. We hope to introduce another way to approach stitching with another way to embrace the aesthetics to fully appreciate Sashiko in Western Quilting World. Why Do You Stitch? Atsushi is ready to share why he stitches. Learning someone’s Aesthetics from different cultures will be the bridge between Appropriation to Appreciation of other cultures. Atsushi is a person who decided to dedicate his entire life to Sashiko, and this is his story to share the Aesthetics of Stitching as Adding Stories to our own Fabrics.