Rocking Around Japan and Making Paper Stuff!!!

Helloooo!!!
I've been embroiled in lots of paper action, hence me taking forever to update on the goings on and gossip!
Post Akari Art Exhibition in which, my mystical unicorn made it's debut, I've been cracking on with my new pieces of work which will be exhibited here in Japan as of December! It's been busy times in the studio working on my latest shizzz and it's all fun! Really loving being able to work with so many new materials and produce something really different...of course there's still glitter involved!
In between rocking out my project, I've also been getting up to all sorts from a couple of papermaking workshops, a lantern making sesh and helping churn out a cheeky catwalk at a local school! It's all fun and games!!!
There's also been a couple of adventures in the mix...we went on a mission to another town in Japan called Shirakawago which was amazing and also I hit up the Aichi Triennale 2010 to check out some of the art currently displayed in the festival that's spread right across Nagoya! I fell in love with the work of Pip and Pop, a duo from Australia...seriously the stuff dreams are made of!!!Of course trips to Nagoya also meant I got to do some shopping!!!
So I will leave you with a select few photos from my latest exploits....there's a bunch more on my photo diary blog which is HERE!!!!

Some latest Japanese press...I don't have a scanner here...so excuse the shady photos!!!

The amazing Pip and Pop.... www.pipandpop.org

Love and Sushi,
Emma
xxx

Akari Art Lantern Festival, Wild Boars and Other Stuff!

Hello from Japan!
So it's been a super busy couple of weeks settling into my new residency here in Japan! Been up to all sorts from parties to paper making workshops and the main bit of action has been working towards the deadline for the upcoming annual Akari Art Lantern Festival in Mino City. I've been working on my piece since I arrived and my lantern is a unicorn that also doubles up as some type of headgear! There's the photos above! The exhibition opens tomorrow and I'm sooo excited!
My piece is titled 'Cornelius the Unicorn of Dreams'....not quite sure how that translates in Japanese and it's made mainly from Mino Washi alongside other stuff including rhinestones, wool, bamboo and metal!It's kind of ridiculous and I'm trying to think of how I can transport this beast back to England when I return!
Papermaking was really awesome as we got to hang out at the Mino Washi Museum for a few days learning the skillzzz...really fun...this is how it rolled:

Now that my piece for the lantern exhibition is wrapped up I'm starting working on my new project which involves making a series of garments from textiles created out of paper...so it's been latex, knitting, weaving and sampling galore this week!!
Ok...so here are a few choice photos of what's been going down!

I've taken about a million photos so far...it's a really amazing town! I'm getting to grips with the nature thing...although tonight I had a close encounter with a wild boar which was the worst experience of my whole life as it was like 2 metres away and growled at me....thought I was going to die!
Also I have started a photo diary which basically documents my entire project here as artist in residence...you can CLICK HERE to ch ch check it out!
Roll on the lantern exhibition!!!!
Love and tropical animals,
Emma
xxx

Mino, Japan: Artist in Residence!

Konnichiwa from Japan!
Now that the jet-lag has vanished and I'm more settled in...here is the lowdown on my current project which sees me living and working in Japan for the next 3 months!
So a while ago my proposal was selected by the committee at the Mino Paper Art Village Project in Japan and I was invited to Mino City alongside 3 other International Artists to participate in their Artist in Residence programme. The city has a history of traditional Japanese Washi (paper) making that has been rocking around for 1,300 years and the concept of the project is to maintain it's paper making heritage as well as fuse it into contemporary art and design.
Part of the experience is that you live with a host family throughout the duration and I have been lucky enough to be placed with the lovely Takahashi's at the amazing Buddhist temple that they run! So I have a lovely living space and that's my room above! Total change for me as I'm scared of nature and I'm so used to living in big cities!
It's been super busy since arriving as they had an action packed schedule of meetings, parties and all sorts planned for the new artists! We got to meet the Mayor of the city as well as attend our 'Welcome Party' which involved us parading around playing instruments whilst wearing a Peruvian poncho?!

Today we moved into the studio where we will be working for the next few months...that is my space above!Love it! It's right in the middle of the old streets with paper walls and all, so there's lots of nice shops and stuff going on around us!

It's full steam ahead now and I am so excited to get started on my project which involves transforming Mino Washi into textiles that will then be used for a collective of paper garments which will be exhibited here in Japan in a few months time! Today I started playing around with the paper and even discovered that they make washable paper socks here...crazy!
So that's the basic lowdown! Lots more to come!
Love and Sushi!
Emma
xxx

SS11 Showcase Collection and Farewell Vienna!

Photographer: Wolfgang Steiner

Hair and Make-Up: Claudia Haider

Hosiery: Pebelle

Models: Ina Rot @ Stella Models & Zuzana Stanekova @ Look Models.
Hello Hello!!!
Lots to update on...I'm in Japan right now...But I shall give you a full rundown of the last couple of weeks beforehand!
So the first big bit of news was that we finally closed the doors on 'Fish and Chips, Twice Please?!' after receiving a record number of almost 30,000 visitors! So happy that it has had such an awesome response and it's been a great project to work on over the past 9 months!
After spending the majority of the past year in Vienna, including my residency, I have said farewell to Whirlers and after packing up the exhibition, I ventured back to England for a few days!
Throughtout working on Fish and Chips, I have also been developing my condensed showcase collection/SS11 which features my commissioned prints as part of the exhibition. This season I presented a selection of the pieces statically in the gallery and the images above are of my most recent lookbook shoot, that I worked on with photographer Wolfgang Steiner.
So in the space of a week I waved goodbye to Vienna and the action packed chapter that was 'Fish and Chips, Twice Please?!' and found myself in Japan. I was recently awarded a position as Artist in Residence as part of the Mino Paper Art Village Project who have invited me to live and work here for the next 3 months. I only arrived yesterday after an epic 30 hour long journey which involved pretty much every mode of transport that you can imagine! So right now I'm settling in and attending to the action packed schedule that is planned...but I will save the full story for tomorrow!
Toodle Pip!
Emma
xxx

Clothes Show and Updates!!!

Helloooooo from Viennese Whirls!!!
So once again I've been totally hopeless at updating my blog...the reality is...my Fish and Chips project has taken over my life and pretty much consumes my every waking moment!!!In exciting news...in the exhibition has been open for 10 weeks so far and we have racked up an almighty 22,000 visitors!! Epic! So I'm super happy about that and it's nice to see after so many months of hard work such a positive response! Alongside working on the exhibition I have been working on additional items of my special showcase collection which replaces my seasonal collections this year, so watch this space for when I unleash those as right now it's sewing central in my studio!
Alongside the exhibition the programme has seen allsorts of exciting features including kids workshops with JEF that I hosted alongside a bunch of great talks, discussions and New Designer Showcases!
I've also been making the most of being based in Central Europe at current so I have cracked out the backpack and trotted off on a few travels with the journal to hand! Berlin...Poland...Budapest...there's been many a story and plenty of drama!
One of the recent bits and pieces that I was involved in recently outside of Fish and Chip World saw my work being featured in the 'Clothes Show London' catwalk shows last month....
Superstar stylist Alexis Knox embraced with panache the mammoth task of styling the entire mainstage show at London's Clothes Show at Earls Court produced by The Doll agency..a 3 day extravaganza featuring 7 daily shows and 280 outfits! Looked awesome and I was so pleased that my pieces could get in the mix!!! Ch ch checkkk out the pictures 'innit! Great job Knoxy!

So that's the basic speile of what has been going down! There's a couple of really exciting projects in the mix...one of which sees me moving to Japan in a few weeks time to spend a few glorious months living and working there...but that warrants a post of it's own so I shall savour that for next time!
Don't forget to keep an eye on my 'Fish and Chips, Twice Please?!' project as it storms through it's final weeks: http://www.fishandchipstwiceplease.blogspot.com
And that's the juice of what's been happening!
Love and biscuits
Emma
xxx

Back from Missing in Action!

Hello Hello!
So I'm back in the land of the living having been M.I.A this past month or so what with work commitments and allsorts taking over my life! After 6 months of mega intense work, my current project, 'Fish and Chips, Twice Please?!' saw it's big, grand launch last month! Finally the doors opened of the exhibition that I have been curating and it all kicked off with a super busy private view followed by an afterparty! Loads of the crew jetted in from London for the occasion and it was awesome to finally see the exhibition up and running in all it's glory! In just 3 weeks of it being open it has already racked up almost 5000 visitors which is great!
It's getting some awesome press and some great feedback so I'm really happy!!wooo!
Above are a couple of images of some of the looks that I created especially for my special showcase collection for the exhibition! They were shot as part of a shoot by our contributor Thom Will. Also up there is an illustration of my work by Laura Bell that I LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Photography: Matthew Brindle
There's a few images from the exhibition....a couple of them feature one of my new pieces, a jumpsuit made using the commissioned print design that I created especially for the project!
So it's been a busy few weeks since the opening, co-ordinating features of the accompanying programme which has included events such as round table discussions, talks and presentations!
Lat week I trotted off to Budapest for some Hungarian action which was amazing! More to come on that at a later date!!!!
Love and Sparkles
Emma
xxx