Nishimura Takeshi

Born in Kyoto, Nishimura Takeshi has been working for 45 years in the Yuzen-Chokoku tradition - a stencil technique of cutting paper used in Yuzen kimono dyeing. As kimono fashion is becoming less trendy, he decided to preserve this tradition, and started to convey it to a more global audience. He is passionately committed to expand his expression beyond the tradition to develop everyday goods.

Nishimura Yuzen Chokoku was established in 1938 as a Kyo-yuzen engraving specialist for custom-made Yuzen dyeing factory. In 1967, Nishimura-san studied under Tomokichi Nishimura to master all the skills of Yuzen engraving, and started an engraving business.

Nishimura Yuzen Chokoku engraves paper patterns to make various traditional Japanese clothing and accessories. Depending on the method of dyeing or the usage of the clothing, sometimes it is necessary to make a few to several to hundreds of paper patterns for clothing. All the products are made with those patterns with care.

By using the skills of Yuzen Chokoku, Nishimura-san creates arts of Japanese traditional patterns, landscapes patterns, or portrays which inspires a feeling of “a warm heart”, ”comfort”, or “a hear of Japanese”. Now he is working on new style of production and sales to bring his works into our everyday life, and he wishes to create a special paper pattern, which somehow touches our hearts.