Osakana

Rowan, Age 15

  • Textile
  • Acrylic paint on calico
  • 1000(w) 1500(h) 1000(d) mm

It all started with a 1950s dress pattern that I bought on eBay. I wanted to paint my own material and treat the fabric as a canvas, so the whole thing started out on white calico (canvas) and I painted each panel separately before sewing it together, with screen print and acrylic paints. Each panel has a different design. My inspiration came from looking at Japanese kimonos, Japanese packaging, and Japanese koi fish (which also featured on a pair of Vans I painted recently). It was quite a challenge sewing through the painted fabric, but I’m really pleased with the way it turned out because the painted canvas really helps give the dress structure.