Ohara Museum of Art, one of the representative museums of Kurashiki City and Okayama Prefecture, is known as “Ohara Museum of Art.”
In addition to viewing the artworks, there is a museum shop next to Ohara Museum of Art, where you can purchase goods related to the collection.
The goods are all items that allow you to feel art close to your daily life.
At the Ohara Museum of Art museum shop, a new product, “Denim Painting Jacquard Mat,” has started selling.
It looks like a real painting but is different from a real one, and it is a new item that can be used in various scenes in the home.
This was created in collaboration with Aoki Hifuku Co., Ltd. (hereinafter, Aoki Hifuku).
What kind of goods are they?
We spoke with Mika Nakayama, the manager of the Ohara Museum of Art museum shop, about the background and commitment to the product creation.
The “Denim Painting Jacquard Mat” has sold out and is no longer available.
What is the Ohara Museum of Art Museum Shop?
The Ohara Museum of Art Museum Shop, as the name suggests, is a store located adjacent to the Ohara Museum of Art.
It sells goods and art books inspired by the artworks in the Ohara Museum of Art collection.
There are many items that allow you to incorporate art into your daily life, and it is also recommended as a place to buy souvenirs when visiting Kurashiki.
▼ For more details, please see the article below.
What is Aoki Hifuku?
Aoki Hifuku is a company headquartered in Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture, that produces and sells lifestyle products, mainly made of denim fabric.
They started custom production of denim products and uniforms in 1961 and expanded their own factories both domestically and internationally in the 1970s.
Currently, Aoki Hifuku has four in-house brands, including “FAGASSENT,” which was launched in 2010.
Their technology and design are highly regarded worldwide, and they have even presented men's collections in Paris, France, and Milan, Italy.
Denim products made in Ibara City are affectionately known as “Ibara Denim,” and one of the reasons for spreading its name worldwide is the brand of Aoki Hifuku.
In Kurashiki, there are two physical stores: “Aoki Hifuku Kurashiki Main Store” and “Aoki Hifuku Kurashiki SOLA Store.”
There are also online shops for each store and brand, so please try to experience the products of Aoki Hifuku, which are a source of pride for the world.
What is the new product “Denim Painting Jacquard Mat”?
The “Denim Painting Jacquard Mat” was created in collaboration between the Ohara Museum of Art museum shop and Aoki Hifuku.
As a new product of the Ohara Museum of Art museum shop, it has been sold only in physical stores since April 2022.
The “Denim Painting Jacquard Mat” is made using “jacquard weaving,” as the product name suggests.
Jacquard weaving is a method of weaving that expresses patterns through the combination of vertical and horizontal threads.
While many fabrics are now directly printed, jacquard fabric is designed using the color of the fibers themselves, which requires time and effort to produce.
Jacquard denim, on the other hand, refers to a three-dimensional material woven with delicate yet strong threads used for denim.
When you actually touch it, you can feel the thickness and see that the threads are woven in multiple layers.
According to Nakayama from the museum shop, jacquard weaving machines are now rare.
“Not just anyone can make jacquard woven products, and the ability to create a complex design like 'painting' is only possible because Aoki Hifuku has high-level skills,” she mentioned.
The artwork designed on the jacquard mat is “Small Table at Dusk” (yugure no shoutaku).
Henri Le Sidaner painted this piece, which is part of the collection at the Ohara Museum of Art.
The charm of the jacquard mat is that it can be used in various scenes.
It can be used as a table mat for dining, a table mat for the entrance, or as part of interior decor when framed, making it a product that blends into daily life.
Of course, it is washable, so it is a jacquard mat that will be useful in the home for a long time.
How close can we get to the real thing? A challenge with jacquard weaving
So why did they decide to create goods in collaboration with Aoki Hifuku?
When asked, Nakayama said, “We received a passionate offer from Shigeru Aoki, the president of Aoki Hifuku,” which made it possible.
Mr. Aoki is a fan of the Ohara Museum of Art and was enamored with each of the artworks in the collection.
He said, “I really want to collaborate!” and reached out to the museum shop.
The museum shop also had a strong desire to create something with the local community.
The collaboration in product creation was realized because both parties' wishes aligned.
The reason for choosing “Small Table at Dusk” as the design is twofold.
One is that it is a favorite work of Mr. Aoki.
The other is that it is a work that fits well with jacquard weaving design.
“Small Table at Dusk” depicts the scene just before it gets completely dark, as the title suggests.
Although it has an overall dark impression, there are no areas painted in a single color of black.
In the darker areas, blue close to black is layered, showcasing delicate color usage.
The overall bluish tone depicts the shadows of buildings and chairs, finely expressing the depiction of dusk.
“We challenged ourselves to see how close we could get to 'Small Table at Dusk' using jacquard weaving,” Nakayama revealed.
The commitment to getting close to the real thing is the overall color balance
The focus was on the overall color balance.
When using the jacquard mat, it was kept in mind that the design of “Small Table at Dusk” is usually viewed from a certain distance rather than up close.
This is the same when appreciating the actual “Small Table at Dusk.”
When placing a vase on the mat or propping it up on the wall in a frame, they wanted to create a product that would allow you to feel the real color balance when the jacquard mat catches your eye.
For example, they would order, “I want to reduce the red a bit more,” and the process involved pulling a few red threads multiple times to create it.
Reflecting on the production process, Nakayama said:
“Pulling some of the red threads changes the overall color balance, so we had to add or subtract different colors, which was quite complex.
I believe that it was possible to create a product that is unprecedented due to both Mr. Aoki's love for the artwork and the high technical skills of jacquard weaving.
When viewed from a distance, we were able to get quite close to the color balance of the real 'Small Table at Dusk.'”
The complex weaving of multiple layers of threads can actually be seen when looking at the back side.
They intentionally did not hide the overlapping threads.
The back side is also very beautiful, and you can feel Aoki Hifuku's high skills from every angle.
The charm of the jacquard mat is that it is not a real one in a good way
The jacquard mat, filled with thoughts on how close it can get to the real color, was created as a challenge.
However, Nakayama has one more thing she wants to convey.
“I want to say that it is intentionally different from the real thing. Usually, I cannot share this much with customers.”
The background of that phrase reflects the desire of the Ohara Museum of Art Museum Shop to increase the number of people who feel art close to them by incorporating art into everyday life.
As you can see from the jacquard mat, there is a lot of blank space on the left side of the mat.
Instead of designing the entire mat with "Evening Small Table," we intentionally created blank space.
This was because I wanted to make it clear at a glance that the jacquard weaving is made of denim fabric.
This product was made possible through collaboration with Aoki Hifuku.
We aimed to create something different from the original during the production process.
I hope it can be used purely as a mat for a long time.
You can also see that the blank space contains the words "Ohara Museum of Art Museum Shop" and "Evening Small Table by Henri Le Sidaner (owned by the Ohara Museum of Art)."
When there is something written in the blank space, don't you think, "What could this be?"
I thought that having the denim fabric visible or having text would make it a more eye-catching product than just depicting "Evening Small Table."
If someone stops in front of the jacquard mat, they can learn that "Evening Small Table" is a work owned by the Ohara Museum of Art without anyone having to explain it.
I hope it can be a trigger for them to think, "Shall we go to the Ohara Museum of Art to see the original?"
Furthermore, ideally, I would like children who grew up in households with the jacquard mat to visit the Ohara Museum of Art when they grow up.
If they think, "The original mat we have is at the Ohara Museum of Art!" it would make me incredibly happy.
This jacquard mat is, in a good way, something different from the original.
It is a product that allows you to live with art and is easy to use in everyday life.
"Please come to see the original at the Ohara Museum of Art," said Nakayama-san with an impressive smile.
Conclusion
When I first saw the denim painting jacquard mat, I naturally kept looking at it from a distance and then up close.
At the same time as I wondered, "How is it made?" I wanted to take a closer look at the beautiful craftsmanship unique to jacquard weaving, just like a real painting.
While I cannot touch real art, I can certainly touch the jacquard mat.
Seeing and touching it, I felt a connection to the artwork depicted.
Although it is different from the original, there is a charm that comes from not being the original.
I found it appealing as a product that is different from standard items like clear files and postcards, yet close to the original.
After enjoying the original "Evening Small Table" at the Ohara Museum of Art, please be sure to visit the museum shop as well.
The denim painting jacquard mat is sure to be an item that enriches your life.
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