Artist Statement by Taguchi Yukihiro 田口行弘的創作自述

The dragon is a mythical, divine creature in Chinese culture. It rarely appears in front of people, but with the combined wishes, thoughts and actions of a community, it can be evoked.

The art of weaving intrigued Taguchi Yukihiro, as it is an important element of cultural heritage, history and technology, as well as a powerful metaphor for the dense network of human relationships. In Taguchi’s previous projects he explored elements and values basic to human life, which led him to think about the meaning of fabric.

Spinning transforms raw materials into a thread that can be used for weaving. The weaved textile is made by intersecting and overlapping strings of spun fibre to form a more resistant, larger, sturdier form. In the same way, people can collaborate and foster connections to build a stronger community.

Following zero-waste principles, Taguchi often uses materials found in the local community in his work. A lot of clothes are thrown away in contemporary society as a result of mass production and consumption, and they have become the medium for Spun Dragon.

Neighbours in Tsuen Wan were invited to come and create Spun Dragon together, spinning and weaving their own communities’ stories into an integrated narrative, and creating their own legendary dragon. The slow, mechanical, manual process of weaving allows people to reconsider the craftsmanship of textiles; it also offers an opportunity to visualise the work behind textile production and the effort of workers, who are often forgotten. Taguchi wishes to create a work that brings people together to reflect on the significance of textiles.

As the great Spun Dragon is brought to life by everyone’s contribution, hopefully it will also become a symbol of human connection, a spirit that will be celebrated through fire dragon dance as a new tradition for the community.

田口行弘的創作自述

龍是中國文化中的瑞獸，不輕易現於人前，但在人們共同的祈願、希望和協力下，龍會 受到感召而降臨。 紡織藝術是文化傳統、歷史和科技上的重要元素，亦有力地象徵了人之間緊密的關係， 田口行弘對此深感興趣。他在以前的作品中探討了人類生活的基本元素和價值，驅使他 思考布對於生命的意義。 由紡開始，原材料轉化為可用作編織的線。一條條的纖維紡成線後，層層交疊、穿梭而 成為織物，結合成更牢固、強大而結實的形態。同一原理，人在同心協力時，也會締結 連繫，建構起更強大的社區。 本着「零浪費」的原則，田口在作品中傾向使用來自本土社區的物料。在當今社會，因 為大規模的生產和消費，使很多衣服遭到丟棄。這些舊衣物就成為了紡織龍的原料。 《紡織龍》由荃灣的街坊和社區一同創作，大眾將各自的故事交織成共同的回憶，在 紡織的過程中呈現出屬於他們的「龍」的面貌。人手編織緩慢又機械式的過程，給予 人們空間去重新思考紡織的工藝，亦引導他們想像和體會紡織生產背後的工序和工人 的辛勞，這些往往在今日已被人遺忘。透過這次創作，田口希望可以凝聚群眾，一同 反思和發掘紡織的意義。 紡織龍是經過所有人的努力才變得栩栩如生。希望它能成為團結的象徵，由大家合力舞 動，為社區建立起新的傳統。