Hand Drawing

Items that exude the personality and individuality of their creator possess a charm that can be difficult to articulate.  Things made by your own hands, custom jobs, anything that reflects human idiosyncrasies has this appeal.  There is a subtle beauty in the minute differences of items that at first glance appear to be the same.  Is it possible for us to create products with such depth?

Hand-drawn works will always reflect a person's individuality.  If the work contains a private message, then even more so.  Now imagine a piece of clothing that exists solely for you, the only one in the world. During the 1930's-40's in America, it was common for someone who graduated college, switched jobs, or was discharged from the military to be presented with a hand-drawn, customized shirt or jacket full of personalized messages as a parting gift from his or her friends.  Considered extremely precious by vintage collectors, these items are referred to as "conversational pieces."

These pieces often include names, graffiti-style illustrations, and personalized messages to the friend who is going away.  It's hard not to get a warm feeling when reading these messages and imagining the thoughts behind these drawings.  Each message shows the peculiarities of the writer, making these pieces really fun and expressive.  

We took inspiration from these pieces, and worked together with a hand-drawing artisan to create products in the same spirit as the traditional Kyo-yuzen kimono painting technique. Among these items is a t-shirt with an illustration of my face.  This design was actually based on a sketch done by my wife.  In exploring how to show one's tender side, I thought that it would be interesting to put a design with a very personal meaning onto a commercial product like a t-shirt.  That was the catalyst behind this experiment.  Ultimately, I feel that a pure message has the power to touch the human heart.