小倉染色図案工房

1967年、東京・神田神保町の老舗履物店「大和屋履物店」に生まれる。1994年、東京藝術大学大学院美術研究科デザイン専攻修了。染色家・西耕三郎氏のもとで江戸文化と型染を学び、1997年に「小倉染色図案工房」として独立。
江戸の町人文化や風俗を主なテーマに、浴衣や手ぬぐい、下駄の花緒、暖簾など幅広い作品を制作する。落語や歌舞伎、食文化、日々の暮らしなどから生まれる図案には、江戸の粋や洒落、ユーモアが生き生きと描き出されている。図案から型彫り、染めまでほぼすべての工程を自ら手がける一方、企業とのコラボレーションや壁面、大型の布幕など空間を彩るデザインにも活動の場を広げ、江戸から続く文化を現代の暮らしへ軽やかに映し出している。

OGURA, Mitsuko was born in 1967 to the family behind Yamatoya, a long-established traditional footwear shop in Tokyo’s Kanda-Jimbocho district. After earning a master’s degree in design from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1994, she trained under textile artist Kozaburo Nishi, studying Edo culture and katazome stencil dyeing. She established her own studio, Ogura Dyeing and Design Studio, in 1997.

The lively urban culture of Edo lies at the heart of Ogura’s work. Her repertoire ranges from yukata and tenugui hand towels to straps for geta sandals and noren curtains, with designs inspired by rakugo, kabuki, food culture and scenes from everyday life. Elegant, witty and full of humour, her work captures the playful spirit of Edo.

Ogura handles nearly every stage herself, from developing the original design and cutting the stencil to dyeing the cloth. Her practice also extends beyond traditional textiles through collaborations with companies and large-scale projects, including murals and fabric installations. Across each project, she finds fresh and engaging ways to bring the culture of Edo into contemporary life.