KIMONO - I COLORI DEL GIAPPONE

This book presents a selection of kimonos and obis from the Edo period to the present day. Although the selection criterion was dictated by color, the final result is a very traditional Japanese collection. I hope that this selection reveals another aspect of the charm of the kimono, the beauty of this garment as a form of graphic art. I have organized kimonos and obis according to what I call the Japanese kokoro no iro, that is, the colors of the Japanese heart. Each category corresponds to an image of what the individual colors express or mean to us. For example: white, black if combined with gold express joy, if paired with silver, sadness. Red is the Sun, blood, and fire. Black communicates the intense darkness that covers everything. Yellow is the joy of the harvest, pink heralds the long-awaited Spring, purple means deference. Brown articulates the earth, green the trees, and blue the sky and the sea...