Spreading art in a corner of the countryside!
Kanagawa Gallery Walk
File.1 Teraya Studio
( Yamamoto Shino/Gallery Watts)
It's a pleasant season that makes you want to take a leisurely stroll.
It was a cloudy but calm day. "That's right, let's go there," I thought, and headed to Jikecho in Aoba Ward, Yokohama. Also known as Jike Hometown Village, it is a green conservation area where fireflies can still be seen.
After getting off the bus and walking for a while through the countryside, you will see a building that exudes a Totoro-like atmosphere.
Teraka Studio is actually a very modern gallery and cafe.
There is a bus stop sign for JIKE STUDIO at the entrance. (No buses stop here, but the Cat Bus might.)
A variety of exhibitions are held here, including art, fashion, crafts, and sometimes rakugo.
When I looked inside, I saw colorful knitwear with strange compositions floating in a simple space.
As you walk through the knitwear, you feel as if you are enveloped in a rhythmic sound.
The artist who was exhibiting was Yoko Takeshita, who lives in Oita. A graduate of the oil painting department at Tokyo University of the Arts, she creates unique knitwear, which she sees as an installation in which "her paintings walk through the city."
She is self-taught when it comes to knitting, and says that her fond memories of knitting with her mother as a child are what motivate her.
She also values an improvisational style that weaves together colors and materials that she feels sympathy for at the time. Combined with collages of textiles that she draws herself, it is a wearable piece of art.
At first glance, it may seem difficult to pull off, but once you put it on, you'll be amazed. It's surprisingly easy to wear. What's more, it gives you a sense of freedom and liberation. You can rotate the skirt 360 degrees and decide which way to wear it depending on your mood that day. You can also change the look of your outfit by turning the top front to back or upside down. 
Whether it's their first time trying Takeshita's knitwear or they're repeat customers, young or old, everyone tries on one piece after another and shares their newfound sense of wonder, and it's inspiring just to watch from the sidelines. It's like the doors to creativity that lie dormant within you but that you haven't noticed yet are opening one after another, and once you've experienced this kind of fun, you might just get hooked!
Although the pieces were clothing, what was unfolding before our eyes was a "moving painting," exactly the installation the artist intended.
The "Yoko Takeshita World Exhibition" touches on the profound meaning of "wearing" and will be held until May 6th.
After enjoying ourselves, we went to a cafe for lunch. The fresh greenery stood out beautifully even under the gloomy sky.
The menu for this day was hearty, with appetizers including a salad of colorful beans and oranges, squid and celery marinated in ginger, beef and green pepper croquettes, and sautéed Spanish mackerel and spring vegetables, as well as homemade bread, dessert, and a drink.
The pesticide-free vegetables they grow themselves are packed with love and have a strong flavor. The green pepper croquette is said to be a revival of the flavor used by gallerist Hiromi Sakagami's mother.
The store also features works by artists associated with Teraya Studio and select goods, so there are plenty of things to enjoy. Time flies by.
Our stomachs and hearts were completely full, and as we were about to head home, Sakagami said, "I'm just about to go to the fields to pick some vegetables, so let's go together."
Right next to the gallery, lettuce, chrysanthemum, arugula, and other vegetables are growing vigorously. Tomatoes are also expected to flourish soon.
"Compared to the others, I'm a little embarrassed because I do it my own way," she said with a shy smile, as she shared some fresh vegetables with us.
"Cherish the time that flows and the time that doesn't flow"
It was a day where I was fully immersed in these words, which are the theme of Teraya Studio.
