An Ode to Textile Art and Nature
Bhimal fibre, hand-spun Himalayan wool and Indigo, 86 x 66 cm
Image Credit- Chiaki Maki
Gallery Art Motif is thrilled to announce the solo exhibition “The Art of the Weaver” by renowned Japanese textile artist Chiaki Maki. As part of the India Art Fair Parallel exhibitions, this extraordinary showcase will open on 24th January 2025 and remain on view until 28th February 2025.
Chiaki Maki’s creations weave together tradition, sustainability, and innovation, offering visitors a multisensory experience of textile art. Her work reflects her deep connection to nature, the meditative rhythm of weaving, and the profound beauty of hand-crafted textiles.
The Artistic Process: Tradition Meets Modernity
Drawing inspiration from the lush landscapes of Uttarakhand, where she established the Ganga Maki Textile Studio, Chiaki Maki employs traditional techniques to create modern masterpieces. Her textiles feature hand-woven natural fibres like Mulberry silk, Basho (banana fibre), and Choma (ramie), all dyed with organic materials such as indigo, pomegranate, and charcoal.
Her celebrated series, Yuragi (waves) and Tsunagi (jointing), captures the rhythm of nature, with undulating patterns and textures that evoke the serenity of flowing rivers and rolling hills. The process involves hand-reeling silk filaments, preserving their natural “wave” formation and emphasizing the harmony between material and maker.
Maki views textile-making as a spiritual practice:
“My textile making is not only for expression, but it’s made by living products and playing with them in my favorite way. My dream was to plow the land and cultivate plants for the fibres and the colors and the food… and now I’ve been doing it for about 10 years.” – Chiaki Maki
A Sensory and Tactile Experience
“The Art of the Weaver” bridges ancient techniques with contemporary aesthetics, showcasing how textiles transcend utility to become powerful mediums of artistic expression. Maki’s works invite viewers to touch, see, and feel the profound connection between art, nature, and craft.
Jointing, hand-reeled Mulberry silk and Muga silk, Basho, Indigo and Pomegranate, Banyan bark, 86 x 37 cm
Image Credit- Chiaki Maki
About the Artist: Chiaki Maki
Image Credit- Facebook
A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Chiaki Maki has been a prominent figure in textile art since the 1980s. Her journey began with the establishment of the Maki Textile Studio in Tokyo and later expanded to India with the founding of the Ganga Maki Textile Studio in Uttarakhand.
In 2012, Maki collaborated with renowned architect Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai to design a weaving workshop at the foothills of the Himalayas. This visionary space, inaugurated in 2017, serves as a hub for sustainable textile production and innovation.
Maki’s work has gained international acclaim, with exhibitions in Milan, New York, and Cape Town, and her expertise includes teaching weaving workshops, such as the “Textile Tomorrow” program led by Sheila Hicks in Cape Town in 2000.
About the Gallery
Gallery Art Motif, established in 1995 in New Delhi, is dedicated to showcasing contemporary abstract and non-representational art. With a carefully curated selection, the gallery highlights works by both emerging talents and established figures within this genre.
Over the years, the gallery has presented exhibitions featuring the creations of luminaries such as V.S. Gaitonde, Ram Kumar, Prabhakar Kolte, Rajendra Dhawan, Ganesh Haloi, and Mona Rai. Additionally, it has provided a platform for the next generation of artists, including John Tun Sein, Harshavardhana, Kishor Shinde, Ganesh Gohain, Sheila Makhijani, Yogendra Tripathi, Shalina Vichitra, and Santana Gohain, among others.
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