World Shibori Network

24/08/2026

Celebrating cloth and carnival: Tenugui and the DeJa Vu Clique.

Tenugui is one of the more famous Japanese souvenirs, a multipurpose cloth that can be used as a towel, headwear, wall decor, or gift wrapping. The colourful and intricate designs on tenugui are all handmade, and thus a popular gift or souvenir. This example (see 2nd image) displays a shishi: lion dogs which guard Shinto shrines in pairs and are the stars of the wǔshī lion dance performed during Lunar New Year and other festivals.

The Balser Fasnacht, or Carnival of Basel, is a grand festival, being the biggest carnival in Switzerland and among the list of UNESCO Intangible cultural Heritages. As part of this carnival, Cliques of masked participants will march through the streets, dressed in intricate costumes designed to represent certain themes or poke fun at famous people. The DeJa Vu clique are veterans of the carnival, and past collaborators with WSNF, showcasing shibori kimonos during the 2025 Fasnacht. As part of 12ISS, WSNF will be gifting tenugui to DeJa Vu. Their participation in Balser Fasnacht helps preserve both Swiss performance and Japanese textile traditions: a one of a kind union only possible through 12ISS! To see our selection of tenugui for sale, see the SHOP store at the link in the bio.

21/08/2026

Kenta Watanabe, one of Japan’s foremost indigo-growers, is joining us in Basel from his farm in Tokushima Prefecture. He will be a panelist for the Technology & Science: Natural Dyes session

“A gift from nature” is what Kenta Watanabe describes as indigo. And this is clearly seen at his workshop. From seed to vat, Watanabe-san maintains a naturalistic and respectful approach to his craft. The result is high-quality artisanal products created in very limited quantities. In addition, his studio is a key preserver of the sukumo natural lye fermentation method, which has become more accessible thanks in large part to his efforts in creating “do-it-yourself” sukumo kits. WSNF is also the sole North American distributor of Watanabe-san’s products. Videos are available on the website for guidance on how to make various patterns.

Guests will also get the opportunity to try out indigo dyeing themselves, at his Symposium workshop. This includes a demonstration on preparing a live indigo vat, the itajime philosophy of cloth folding, and getting to dye your own pieces. This is a very rare opportunity, as Signups are limited, so be sure to enroll quickly! For this and other Symposium workshops, see the link in the bio.

19/08/2026

Meet the Artists & Scholars of 12ISS:
As a part of our Culture & Context panel, we are honoured to have Stephen Hamilton with us at 12ISS. A mixed-media artist, researcher, and arts educator based in Boston, Hamilton is a Ph.D. candidate in Harvard's Department of African and African American Studies, focusing on African Studies and African History. He specializes in the indigenous textile industries of southern Nigeria, blending African and Western techniques across weaving, natural dyeing, figurative painting, and woodcarving.
His practice is rooted in training at the Nike Centers for Art and Culture in Osogbo and Ogidi Ijumu, Nigeria, where he studied Yoruba weaving, dyeing, and woodcarving during a nine-month residency in 2015, supported by Arts Connect International.
His recent work includes Under the Spider's Web (2025), a large-scale painting and textile installation on view at Roxbury Community College as part of the Boston Public Art Triennial, and Stitched into Memory, a New England Foundation for the Arts-funded project exploring West African textile traditions within Boston's African Diaspora communities. His work has been exhibited at institutions including the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, the Museum of the National Center for African American Artists, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
This panel will showcase presenters skilled in artforms from around the globe, offering fresh insight and greater diversity to the conversation around shibori.

15/08/2026

22/07/2026

Ana Lisa Hedstrom, Master of Arashi Shibori, is teaching in Berkeley (Aug 18 & 19) and Basel (Sept 29 & 30) - https://mailchi.mp/shibori.org/ana-lisa-hedstrom-aug-in-berkeley-sept-in-basel

19/06/2026

Noren (fabric hung in doorways & on storefronts) dyed in persimmon tannin and bengara, rinsed in a river.

19/06/2026

I met a young Japanese plaster craftsman today. He was well aware that the craft of wall making is a dying art, but he chose to learn it anyways. I think this is the kind of heart we need to support in this spirited generation.

09/05/2026

Venice Art Biennale featuring Marcia Kure, our friend and 12ISS keynote speaker www.12ISS.org

07/05/2026

Exploring Basel: crossing the Rhine using no fuel (only the current), buying farmers market white asparagus and strawberries, taking the tram from the transport hub and admiring local commitment to biking even in the rain.

30/04/2026

During our Los Angeles special trip, Our young trustee Andrew Meyer and our member Nareja Sinkevicite-Titus attended the Genesis Talk with architect Peter Zumthor and LACMA CEO Michael Govan, at the David Geffen Gallery at LACMA.

Such a memorable experience!