Journey of the Glass Kimono
Glass Ancestral Kimono
An eerie sound of wind chimes mixes musically
with the gentle rolling surf. Two Japanese fishermen pause
from attending their gear and stare at the ghostly figure
walking slowly on the distant concrete breakwater.
Reiko Fujii journeyed to the towns where her ancestors lived, wearing a kimono she created out of thousands of pieces of glass, fused together into 224 squares, each framing a photograph of one or more of her relatives. With the light reflecting from the rich glass texture and the haunting sounds of windchimes, the kimono acts as a multi-sensory tribute to her family and the many generations who came before her.