21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa

After graduating from nursing college, TSUNO Seiran worked at a psychiatric hospital while studying fashion design at the fashion school “coconogacco,” founded by YAMAGATA Yoshikazu. In 2018, while still enrolled at the school, her dress Wandering Spirits was selected as a finalist for ITS, the largest fashion competition in Europe. This dress hangs from beneath the model’s neck, and resembles the body of a ghost. Crafted from resin using a 3D pen, it barely traces the shape of the human body. It cannot even be slipped on, raising doubts about whether it can even be called clothing. Tsuno explains that, as a result of struggling with how to relate to her own body due to her body type, she created “clothes that ignore the body, and detach themselves from it.” While she had her reservations about views of the body that pursue certain norms or standards based on objective metrics, she was drawn to approaches to caregiving that prioritize the subjective narratives of those facing various difficulties. After working as a nurse in a psychiatric hospital, she now worked at Urakawa Bethel House, a community hub for individuals with mental and other health conditions. Tsuno now conducts research on “fat bodies” in graduate school. The reality of bodies that face such challenges is constantly reflected in her clothing designs. Tsuno questions the assumptions inherent in ready-made clothing, such as bodies that fit into sizes like S, M, L, and healthy bodies that can stand and walk. What can clothing do to “be with” bodies that face various challenges? This exhibition introduces Tsuno’s practice, which explores ways of caring for oneself and others through the act of making clothing.