Exhibitions

Where our work has traveled

KnitCafe's upcycled kimono has been shown beyond Japan — carried to galleries and pop-ups around the world, where cloth that once belonged to one life meets new eyes.

Exhibitions

• October 2023 — Greenholt showroom, Copenhagen, Denmark
• December 2023 — Villa Opera, Vientiane, Laos

Copenhagen, Denmark · October 2023

Our cushions found their place in Danish homes and gallery spaces, resting easily among Scandinavian light and art.

Vientiane, Laos · December 2023

During our travels we learned that Laos has a tradition of silk weaving close in spirit to the Japanese kimono — once women's work, and, like ours, now in decline, with few social programs to sustain it. We went to Laos, where the weaving still lives, and brought cushions made by combining Laotian and Japanese cloth, to explore what it might mean to create something together. An exhibition was held at Villa Opera, December 23–28, 2023.

Along the way we met and shared our work with many people who care about craft and culture:

• Introduced our plans and consulted with Mr. Khemsath Philaphandeth, the Chairman of KP GROUP, a large business conglomerate with ties to Toyota, Bridgestone and Bandai, among many others.
• Introduced our activities to Mrs Ontha & Mr Dilip Jesuthasan, who manage a number of restaurants.
• Introduced our activities to Mr. Inthy Deuansavanh, a successful owner of a service industry conglomerate, and a prominent adventurer.
• Visited a Japanese NGO named Minna no Cafe, which supports the disabled and the challenged, with a hotel owner Mrs. Malai Prachantee.
• Visited a training facility for women in traditional Lao weaving techniques.
• Participated in a traditional Lao family event that counted 280 guests, including Lao government Ministers and ex-Ambassadors.
• Introduced our activities to Ms. Carol Cassidy, an American businesswoman who has, since as early as the 1980s, worked to revitalize silk weaving in Laos.
• Connected with local collaborators who are willing to assist further with sales and marketing of upcycled kimono.

23–30 Dec. 2023 · Upcycled Kimono Pop-up Gallery — Vientiane
At: Villa Opera · Time: 11.30–14.30 / 18.00–21.30
Address: Ban Sithane Neua (Opp. Wat Xiengve) · Tel: 021-215-099

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