We created beautiful piece for an exhibition we participated in back in 2017. The exhibition, UPHOLSTERY: EVOLUTION TO REVOLUTION, curated by Second Sitters, highlighted the role of upholsterers throughout history and how they have evolved though time. Hiroshima Chair is a tribute to Japanese women affected by the atomic bomb in 1945.The seat of this chair features a traditional style of stitching called Sashiko, meaning “tiny stabs” or “small stitches.” It is a technique used for hand sewing layers of cloth together, traditionally employed by women of working class at the time. In addition to its practicality and durability, Sashiko patterns were traditionally believed to offer spiritual protection to its wearer. When the bomb dropped, many workers were left with burns that had taken the shape of the patterns of the fabrics that they were wearing – their farming clothes. Japanese farming clothes were traditionally made from Indigo and used Sashiko and where the white pattern had burned, the radiation had come through but apart from that their skin had been better protected by the indigo dye.
Hiroshima Chair
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