Melanie Eastburn

Lucie Folan

Robyn J. Maxwell

Niki Van den Heuvel

Catalog of an exhibition held at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, June 13-August 3, 2014.

Island of the Gods

Bali

Created from an extensive range of locally produced and imported raw materials, and designed using an astonishing number of techniques--including different types of appliqué, decorative weaving, tie-dying, batik, and embroidery--Southeast Asian textiles are used to fashion an extraordinary variety of objects, ranging from everyday clothing to sacred and ceremonial costumes. This authoritative study focuses on the interplay between indigenous Southeast Asian traditions and the external cultural forces that have been a crucial part of the historical development and changing nature of the region's textile traditions. Maxwell considers the various ways Southeast Asian textile artisans reacted to the new ideas and raw materials from outside regions. The social, cultural, and religious dimensions of this art, the factors that condition how people create textiles, the way these are used, and the meaning of motifs and symbol are explored in detail. Including examples of textiles--some in categories that have never before been published--this reference work is a valuable contribution to the field of ethnographic textiles.

Tradition, Trade, and Transformation

Textiles of Southeast Asia

Rengetsu

Rengetsu (1791-1875), whose name translates as Lotus Moon, was a Japanese Buddhist nun whose tragic life inspired extraordinary creativity. One of a very few successful female artists in nineteenth-century Japan, Rengetsu was primarily a poet and calligrapher, but also excelled in pottery and scroll painting. Her idiosyncratic personal aesthetic attracted an enormous following in her own lifetime and was imitated by many of her admirers. Black Robe, White Mist presents contemplative works on paper and clay inscribed with Rengetsu's elegant poetry and understated calligraphy, reflecting the beauty of the imperfect and unconventional. A number of distinguished contributors share their knowledge of and enthusiasm for Rengetsu's poetry and art. Melanie Eastburn is assistant curator of Asian art at the National Gallery of Australia. Other contributors include Chiaki Ajioka, Lucie Folan, Patricia J. Graham, Robyn Maxwell, Meher McArthur, Sandra Sheckter, John Stevens, and Saymi Takahashi.

Robyn J. Maxwell

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