A traveling exhibition of “MILESTONES – Margin Designs” was held at Hankyu Umeda, with new contents added from the exhibition held in Kyoto in April this year.

Seven new works were created based on obi designs. At the same time, a program was developed in which visitors could select and order one from each of the 50 obi designs and 7 colors. These two-dimensional works, trimmed into squares and finished with acrylic mounts, were given the NFT and sold. The program also proposed new possibilities for obi designs by creating a skateboard as a contemporary item and a hanging scroll as a traditional item.

We were pleased to be able to offer a wide range of customers, young and old, men and women, a chance to experience the uplifting effects of color.

MILESTONES – Margin Designs”
Hosoo Corporation, a long-established Nishijin textile company, has been working with Kyoto University of Art since 2014 on the “MILESTONES” project to create a digital archive of approximately 20,000 uncolored obi designs. Focusing on the “blank space” design of the obi designs, Shoya Dozono (Computational Designer/Programmer) generated new designs through machine learning, and SPREAD added colors to them. The first exhibition was held at the Kyoto Museum of Traditional Industries in April this year and was well received.

Dates: September 21 (Wed) to 26 (Mon), 2022 Venue: Hankyu Umeda Gallery, Hankyu Umeda Main Store 9F, 8-7 Kakudacho, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0017, Japan Hours: 10:00 – 20:00 Admission: Free

Organizer: Hosoo Corporation, Hankyu Umeda Main Store / Sponsor: DEBIS Corporation / In cooperation with: Epson Sales Corporation, UPBOND Corporation, Skeleton Crew Studio, Metaani, Kyoto University of Art / Director: Masataka Hosoo / Curator: Kumiko Idaka / Space Design: Takayuki Suo / Graphic Design: Spread / Computational Design (AI): Shoya Dozono