The World Nuido Collection - Review

Every four years the Japanese Embroidery Center stage the Nuido World Exhibition, a show case of some of the fabulous embroideries stitched by JEC tutors and students from around the world and by professionals at the Kurenai-kai workshop. In 2007 the Exhibition was held in Cambridge and I was lucky enough to see the exhibition and take part in one of the Special Classes.

The fourth Nuido World Exhibition (2011) was held at two venues; University of Kentucky, USA and OzAsia Festival, Adelaide, Australia. The JEC have now published a book of the Exhibition, "The World Nuido Collection".

© JEC

An important component of the Exhibition, and of the book, is the Fractal Project. When complete the Fractal Project will be a geodesic dome composed of approximately 700 individual pieces designed and created by embroiderers around the world, drawing on the art, history and traditions of each country.

© JEC

The project is a work in progress and will take many years to complete. Three completed hexagons measuring 5 meters high and 4 meters wide and comprising 61 pieces each were displayed at the Exhibition. The Project is explained more fully in “The World Nuido Collection” and over 200 of the currently completed pieces are featured.

© JEC

The book includes some of the Phase pieces and challenge designs stitched students that were exhibited, many of which I have not seen before.

© JEC

The Hoitsu Scrolls and the Konbuin Fukusa, stitched at Kurenai-kai and first exhibited in Cambridge, were again on display at the Exhibition and are included in the book, in brief. These were fully featured on the World Exhibition 2007 CD-ROM.

For those who, like me, were not able to attend the 2011 Nuido World Exhibition this book is the next best thing to being there; for those who were able to attend or those whose work featured in the Exhibition this book would make a wonderful souvenir.

Happy Stitching