Co-directed and curated by Loughborough University’s Dr Kerri Akiwowo and Dr Chetna Prajapati, the show explores the creative exchange between Britain and Japan, highlighting traditional Japanese textile techniques – some centuries old – that continue to inspire fashion and textiles today through their sustainable practices.
The exhibition features 13 artworks by 15 artists from across Europe, with pieces directly incorporating or drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese techniques that focus on making materials last and reducing waste such as boro (stitching and patching to repair fabric), kasuri (weaving with pre-dyed yarns), sakiori (recycling fabric scraps into new textiles), and shibori (a tie-dyeing method).
“I hope the exhibition sparks new threads of thought about preserving culture, heritage, and the environmental impact of fast fashion and consumer behaviours," said Dr Akiwowo, “As technology and modernisation push us toward a more uniform world, we risk losing rich traditions that have shaped communities for centuries. It's crucial to celebrate and sustain these practices.
"I hope visitors reflect on this as well as their relationship with textiles and clothing and start to ask questions such as ‘can I repair this instead of discarding it?’ or ‘do I really need to buy more or is there an alternative?’ Even small shifts in mindset can create meaningful change.”
Inside the Sustainable Textile Futures exhibition at London’s Embassy of Japan,
The exhibition – which is in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan and supported by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan Information and Culture Centre – features textile samples, yarns, video content and garments.
Works include Crafting Barkcloth, a piece that uses UNESCO-recognised Ugandan barkcloth, one of the world's oldest and most sustainable textiles made from the regenerative bark of the Mutuba tree. Dr Akiwowo dyed fragments using traditional indigo and shibori techniques - which involve folding, bunching, and tying fabric before dyeing – before Loughborough alumna and craftivist Jess Peacock pieced it together using boro and sashiko stitching.
Crafting Barkcloth: Patched indigo/shibori dyed Ugandan barkcloth fragments from the mutuba tree using Japanese boro and sashiko techniques.
Enzymatic Shibori is a piece that merges biotechnology with traditional craft. Dr Prajapati, in collaboration with De Montfort University’s Professor Jinsong Shen and Dr Edward Smith, patterned fabrics using protease – an enzyme naturally found in plants, bacteria, and the human body – and traditional Japanese shibori resist techniques.
Enzymatic Shibori: Wool/polyester fabric patterned using the enzyme protease in combination with traditional Japanese shibori resist techniques.
Other works on display include hand-dyed yarns created using traditional Japanese techniques, with accompanying videos documenting the process; digitally printed garments reinterpreting shibori dyeing; and 3D-printed textiles inspired by Japanese folding and pleating. There is also an interactive station – including a free-standing loom – offering visitors hands-on engagement with textile techniques.
The collaborative exhibition with the UK’s Embassy of Japan stemmed from its recognition of Diverse Voices in Textiles, an initiative founded at Loughborough University in 2020 by Dr Akiwowo and Dr Prajapati focused on fostering inclusivity and amplifying underrepresented voices in textiles.
“We are positioned as leaders in the conversation on discussing diversity within the textile discipline, providing a platform for discourse and debate that has led to shaping the landscape and changing the narrative surrounding textiles”, said Dr Prajapati.
The exhibition is free to visit with photo ID and open to the public until March 10, 2025, with a series of lectures and workshops running alongside it.
A spokesperson for the Embassy of Japan said: "The exhibition explores how British and Japanese cultures influence one another. Throughout history, traditional techniques from one side of the world have sparked innovation in another, shaping the future of both countries.
“This initiative gains even greater relevance in the context of the upcoming 2025 Kansai Expo in Osaka, which focuses on technologies for a sustainable future. Sustainability is a shared value reflected in the work of the artists featured in this exhibition, making this project especially relevant for the moment."
Further exhibition details, including opening times, can be found on the dedicated exhibition webpage.