“Tekunikku: The Art of Japanese Textile Making” is  an exploration of Japan’s iconic textile design methods featuring fabrics and garments from alumna Catherine Cerny’s extensive collection. The exhibition opens the UC Davis’ Design Museum’s 2018-2019 season running  through Dec. 9.  

A highlight of the exhibition is its installation which evokes the aesthetic of a traditional Japanese market where many of the objects were purchased.

“Japanese textiles demonstrate a rich tradition of design making, and exemplify unique techniques that continue to inform contemporary textile/fashion design and education,” said exhibition curator Alicia Decker. “‘Tekunikku’ focuses on the extensive Japanese textile collection of Cerny and pans over 40 years of first hand cultural exploration and technical study.” 

There will be an opening reception on Oct. 4 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., including an exclusive tour given by the collector, Catherine Cerny.

Cerny became enamored with textiles as a young child, shopping at curio shops with her father while living in Japan. Later, she graduated from UC Davis Department of Design in 1970, and worked as a costume designer for several years before her interests began to shift toward the study of dress and identity. This interest compelled her to complete a PhD at the University of Minnesota and later to enter academia, as a professor at the University of Rhode Island and Virginia Tech. Over the last 20 years, Cerny has identified as a collector; visiting textile producing communities all over the world, and building a diverse collection of unique textiles suitable for university study.

The Design Museum, part of the College of Letters and Science, is in Cruess Hall, Room 124. It is free and open weekdays noon to 4 p.m. and Sundays 2 to 4 p.m.

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