Yasuaki Kuroda

We are living in the world of words. Words make the objects possible for us. The meaning of words attach the outline to the objects, and we live inside of this prescribed Matrix. My primary interest resides in the place where threads are connected with words. ’Text‘ derives from Latin ’texere‘ (‘to weave‘) and textiles appear, before texts, and function as a linguistic system for communication and recording.

My work is to choose from several hundred naturally dyed silk threads and weave them together. For one piece of my textile, there are from thousand to tens of thousands of selections of different colors of threads required. All my choices are recorded in this fabric. My ’text‘ is written here with my threads. Like a human appears due to the choice of words he or she makes, like choices that we make shape today’s me and you, like ‘Me’ is a record of the choices I made, what appears in this fabric made of thousands of threads is what I am.

Nevertheless, when I confront what I have woven, I encounter something that is difficult to grasp. There is Me in this text(ile) but also something that exists at the distance. I am the one who makes the choice of the threads, I am the weaver of the threads and the creator of the fabric. It seems that I am the subject and the sole authority here, but actually it is not only me who chooses the threads. The Threads themselves choose the choice I make.

I pick up the thread, but in the same time it grasps me. I am the subject of the thread, but thread is also a subject that operates with Me as an object.　 (Yasuaki Kuroda)