No.066 CONTINUUUUUM - コンティニュウゥゥゥゥム
CONTINUUUUUM - コンティニュウゥゥゥゥム is the first exhibition by textile designer Kaneko and graphic designer Noma. We showcase the daily habits that shape who we are, believing that routines define us and lead to transformation. This exhibition aims to visualise some of these habits, exploring themes such as ‘Perseverance is power’ and ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’ For our first exhibition, we were honoured to present our work at Bootleg Gallery in Tokyo, Japan.
In this exhibition, we present both individual and collaborative works. Kaneko experiments with the possibilities of textiles, while Noma explores forms inspired by daily life. For our collaboration, we developed our research on natural dyeing using Adzuki beans.
In 2019, Noma visited White Cube in London and saw an exhibition by German artist Peter Dreher, who had been painted the same scenery and still life since 1974. The sheer volume of his work felt almost violent, yet deeply moving—it was a physical manifestation of accumulated daily life. Our habits—eating, brushing our teeth, working—may seem small but, when visualised, reveal their vast presence. Everyone lives by continuing something. This act of continuing and recording shaped this exhibition, which itself is part of an ongoing process.
The CONTINUUUUUM logo represents our journey—one that moves through ups and downs, yet persists. As we hold more exhibitions in the future, we are considering adding the number of ‘U’s in the title to reflect this ongoing process.
Everyday Forms
Everyday Forms (Kosuke Noma)
Everyday Forms is a project Noma started in 2020, documenting shapes through drawing, much like keeping a visual diary. It explores object boundaries—where does a bowl end and a plate begin? This connects to Prototype Theory, which examines how we categorise the world.
Fascinated by how language and culture shape perception, he deliberately explores abstract forms to allow multiple interpretations. At the same time, it’s a personal study of his artistic expression as a graphic designer. Forms shift with context—simply naming them can change how we see them.
As of December 2024, the project consists of 860 pieces and continues to grow. Through this practice, he’s found that his preferred lines and forms emerge naturally from him. While his range has expanded, his style has also become more defined. Every day brings new discoveries.
Haptic Lines
Haptic Lines (Sae Kaneko)
Haptic Lines is a series based on the German concept of ‘Serielle Arbeit,’ where each piece stands alone yet forms a cohesive whole.
For Kaneko, Serielle Arbeit is fluid, always evolving between a starting and ending point. Inspired by Wassily Kandinsky’s Point and Line to Plane, she explores how lines not only connect points but also create surfaces, embodying the process itself. To visualise this, she set two rules: draw a line daily and continue. Over time, she noticed how her emotions shaped the lines.
Seeking to translate these emotional lines onto fabric, she turned to haptics (touch)—a sense essential to human existence. People can live without sight or hearing, but no one survives without touch. It connects us to the world, shaping both emotions and perception. This idea is even embedded in language, with phrases like warm feelings or cold attitude.
Thus, she transformed the subtle emotional shifts in her drawings into haptic lines on textiles, making emotions physically tangible.
For Kaneko, Serielle Arbeit is fluid, always evolving between a starting and ending point. Inspired by Wassily Kandinsky’s Point and Line to Plane, she explores how lines not only connect points but also create surfaces, embodying the process itself. To visualise this, she set two rules: draw a line daily and continue. Over time, she noticed how her emotions shaped the lines.
Seeking to translate these emotional lines onto fabric, she turned to haptics (touch)—a sense essential to human existence. People can live without sight or hearing, but no one survives without touch. It connects us to the world, shaping both emotions and perception. This idea is even embedded in language, with phrases like warm feelings or cold attitude.
Thus, she transformed the subtle emotional shifts in her drawings into haptic lines on textiles, making emotions physically tangible.
Anko Dyeing (Natural Dyeing with Adzuki Beans)
Adzuki-dyed patchwork (Stedelijk museum bag)
Crust of bread (adzuki-dyed scraps)
Adzuki-dyed patchwork (drop lid for anko making)
4m of cotton (adzuki and shikon dyed)
6m of cotton (adzuki dyed and Iron mordant)
ANTONE (adzuki-dyed colour samples)
The anko dyeing project began at an intersection of two lifelong pursuits: natural dyeing and anko-making. In this project, we repurpose the broth made from cooking anko as a dye bath for natural textiles, exploring the full potential of a single, often overlooked, material. The deeper we dive into its possibilities, the more nuances and complexities emerge.
Kaneko is fascinated by how different adzuki bean varieties produce a wide range of coluors, while Noma is captivated by how mordanting techniques and materials influence the depth and richness of adzuki hues. This project is a continuous learning process for the both of us, as we share knowledge and uncover endless possibilities from a single source.
We presented a collection of textiles dyed with adzuki beans, alongside ANTONE, a curated palette of adzuki-based hues. Additionally, we showcased a selection of adzuki and sugar varieties that Noma has experimented with in the pursuit of the ideal anko.
Kaneko is fascinated by how different adzuki bean varieties produce a wide range of coluors, while Noma is captivated by how mordanting techniques and materials influence the depth and richness of adzuki hues. This project is a continuous learning process for the both of us, as we share knowledge and uncover endless possibilities from a single source.
We presented a collection of textiles dyed with adzuki beans, alongside ANTONE, a curated palette of adzuki-based hues. Additionally, we showcased a selection of adzuki and sugar varieties that Noma has experimented with in the pursuit of the ideal anko.
Exhibition scenes shot by Jun Yokoyama
Behind the scenes of CONTINUUUUUM
No.066 CONTINUUUUUM
Personal Project
Exhibition
2024