'Chizu Nakamura

Fushiginoiroito

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'Joy'

 

  

Materials: Own Hand Spun wool yarns, stuffing - polyurethane fleece, whistle
Techniques: Hand Knitting
Size: 60cm x 40cm x 40cm
Function: Toys to play with
Date Made: 1998
This piece can be a 'Toy' that anybody can play with and express their feelings of 'Joy'. Please talk to 'it' and give 'it' a big hug, and 'it' will reply to you. Please throw 'it' to the air, you will hear the sound of 'Joy'. I knitted with as many colours as possible, and found my own 'Joy' in all these colours.

I experienced an amazing and miraculous moment of relief in which my mind jumped in the air, full of 'Joy'. I wanted to gather all my 'Joy' together and press it into one piece through which I could re-experience the 'joy' by using all parts of my body, throwing it in the air like a volleyball, or holding it by its tail and swinging it. When this piece was completed, I was thrilled at the prospect of expressing my 'Joy' by lifting it up and playing with it. Unfortunately, it was so heavy to lift up that I nearly fell over when I attempted, bravely, to throw it into the air. I will tell you the truth. I had completely forgotten to take the weight of wool into account, as, in my mind, it was just a lightweight material.
In this piece I used a knitting technique called 'Twined Knitting', which I learned in Sweden. Perhaps it would be more accurate to call this technique 'In the Twined Knitting style, by way of Chizu', as I can hardly claim to have mastered this method. 

I believe that the Swedish symbol of 'Hand Made' is based on a triangular shape finish where the threads are loose at the edges. I used this technique to finish my tails.