On Sunday 20 October the Shinken Shobu Ryu Judo junior squad stepped up for the Shinsei champions in the south Lake Leisure Centre  For many of their young Judoka this was their first opportunity to test their skills In the Mini mons which is the younger section Ziggy Magee and Amber Melling were on their competitive debut and showed their grit with Ziggy winning gold and Amber winning Bronze Stepping up to the Kyu grades the club had a team of 6 with a mixture of first and second time competitors and Maria Burns-Kimberly received silver medals and to complete the team Carl Keenan Not to be outdone members of othe club's Masters team Paul McConville Martin Fearon and Paddy McCambridge entered the prestigious Irish Masters on 26 October Paul and Paddy both showed the determination and skills to fight their way through to secure gold Martin returning after a hiatus returned with a very well earned silver medal ShareSaveBusinessMedia'Baahubali' Producer Shobu Yarlagadda Explains How It Was DoneByRob Cain Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights 01:02am EDTShareSaveThis article is more than 7 years old.On July 10 India’s film industry experienced the Big Bang event that forever altered the rules of storytelling That was the day that Baahubali: The Beginning began screening in theaters across the sub-continent and around the world Baahubali shattered expectations of what India’s movies could look like and how well they could perform financially about a battle of epic magnitude to restore the rightful ruler of a mythical kingdom to his throne 'Baahubali' producers Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni Baahubali: The Conclusion and Baahubali: The Beginning are the number one and number four highest grossing Indian-made movies in history The films have been hugely profitable and they have also generated successful books Plaudits for a successful film franchise usually go to the director and actors But the real unsung heroes of such an enterprise are often the producers In the case of Baahubali producers Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni high-risk venture that depended heavily on their capabilities and experience I decided to fill an important vacuum and get the producers’ perspective I was fortunate enough to have a conversation recently with Baahubali producer Shobu Yarlagadda and how heartbreaking it can be when you finish one and hardly anybody shows up to see it So I just want to say I have great faith that if you keep at it eventually you’ll make one that draws an audience Shobu Yarlagadda: (He laughs) It’s definitely overwhelming Especially after Part 1 when we were planning for Part 2 We were sure Part 2 would be accepted equally well by the audience but the speed at which it was accepted and the love and attachment and the emotion it drew from the audience was incredible The second film’s worldwide box office has now doubled the previous Indian record Yarlagadda: 3 Idiots and PK helped consolidate Aamir Khan as a star in China Those movies and Dangal are all slice-of-life stories That sets us up for a big challenge in China We had our share of bad luck and bad timing with the first part of Baahubali In China a big factor is getting a big number of screenings but we didn’t get them for the first film E Stars (who also released Dangal and PK in China) Tell me about how you got your start producing films Did you have any specific influences growing up that led you towards the film industry Yarlagadda: My partner Prasad Devineni and I started Arka Media Works in 2001 primarily as a TV production house My wife’s family has been three generations in films I was also working as a line producer for some of my father-in-law’s feature films We did a project with Disney where we line produced Then we did our own productions starting with S.S we knew each other as friends and business colleagues So basically you’re saying the only thing that matters is to marry into the business Yarlagadda: (he laughs) Prasad and I came to this business together As entrepreneurs we had each had two business failures before we started in business together on our 3rd and current business I had previously had a spice and natural extracts business Your formal education was in Environmental Engineering and you started your career in that field Has that experience impacted the way you go about your work in films and TV and an inclination to figure out how to solve problems Are there any films or stories that inspire you Yarlagadda: When we started Baahubali we knew there was a lot of scope for creating a world and a franchise around the character and property Our inspiration was the franchises we saw coming from Hollywood To create an IP that can be leveraged across various platforms we have an animated series on Amazon Prime in India that focuses on the growing days of Baahuba and Bhalladeva and their youth We also have a novel trilogy about the rise of Sivagami from her youth until the period when the first film starts The first book was released a few months ago We’re also doing a TV series based on the novels Virtual Reality (VR) is also a big push for us making cutting edge use of GPUs and VR worldwide We have an 8-minute experience that we’re fine-tuning now and preparing for release We also have a Baahubali game on Android which has reached 3 million downloads which makes it the most downloaded app on the Google Playstore in India But I can definitely say this is a one-of-a kind business in India Everything came into the right place at the right time; the right partners came I don’t think anyone has been able to achieve this kind of IP creation at such a big scale It sounds like you’re attributing it all to good fortune Rajamouli takes a keen interest in all of this We’re very fortunate that we have a creative person who is passionate about all of this In October Shinken Shobu Ryu Judo club will be taking their Jr members to the Shinsei Mon and Kyu grade event at Craigavon  For many of the kids this will be their first competition with competitors from as young as 8 years old flocking to South Lake Leisure Centre on 20 October to show their skills The Club have been delighted to have received a cheque from WBR Credit Union to help support them in their endeavours The club is busy preparing and travelling to Kata (set movement) and shiai (competition fighting) competitions The support offered helps out with travelling costs especially when flights and hire vehicles are required The club are very thankful to Alan Griffin and the team at Warrenpoint Rostrevor Credit Union for a number of years now and hope to continue their relationship In the next few days  Shinken Shobu Ryu Judo club will have a grading within the club allowing their students to show their skills to move up the belt system This not only allows the coaching team to see the progress of the students but gives the students a sence of achievement by earning their next belt Shobu Yarlagadda said WhatsApp was preventing him from logging back into his account for several hours due to multiple incorrect PIN attempts Hyderabad: The WhatsApp account of ‘Baahubali’ film franchise producer Shobu Yarlagadda was reportedly hacked by unknown persons Sharing this on social media, Shobu Yarlagadda said WhatsApp was preventing him from logging back into his account for several hours due to multiple incorrect PIN attempts the hacker reportedly had been targeting people in Shobu Yarlagadda’s contact list The film producer later raised the issue with ‘Meta’ management and lodged an online complaint on his ‘X’ account Shobu Yarlagadda’s post read: “My @WhatsApp account has been hacked The hacker has taken control of my account What’s worse is that @WhatsApp won’t let me log back in for 12 hours because it says I entered the wrong PIN multiple times the hacker is duping more people in my contacts and gaining access to their accounts There seems to be no way to reach @WhatsApp there was no formal police complaint on the issue Abstract two player games are a dime a dozen but every once in a while one comes along that somehow recaptures the magic Its components are beautiful (real rocks!) I feel like I could spend years mastering it It evokes the feeling of strategy and planning of chess but without the stuffy rules and memorized strategies and plays In Shobu each player is in control of 16 rocks The two boards on your side of the dividing rope are your ‘home’ boards and vice versa for your opponent On your turn you choose a rock on one of your home boards to move up to two spaces in any direction This move cannot be used to push an opponent’s rock Then you perform the exact same move with one of your rocks on a board of the opposite color either the other board on your home side or on your opponent’s side this second copied move is what you use to push your opponents rocks Push all of your opponents rocks off of a single board and you win the game Black has advantage in top left but white has advantage in top right The game seems so simple at first but the emerging strategies will soon become apparent Requiring your two moves to be on two different color boards will have you scratching your head and kicking yourself for not thinking far enough in advance You might sacrifice a stone on one board to gain an advantage on another board You might think victory is inevitable only to be blindsided by a move you didn’t see on a board you’ve been ignoring My first game was quick and brutal with stones flying off the board on almost every move We switched sides and played again right away and the second game was completely different Each player maneuvering to outposition the other while staying aware of the dangerously close edges The advantage shifting back and forth on multiple boards It was an experience I haven’t had with a board game in a long time Shobu demands you immediately play again after winning or losing Shobu will burn your brain and is a delightful experience One of the longest running independent gaming news Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Two cocktails from tucked-away Bar at Nakaji Make your way down down an alley, ring the doorbell, and be escorted past a sliding door to arrive at this dark and moody bar, one half Nakaji of an intimate omakase experience Chef Kunihide Nakajima and there's an extensive Japanese whiskey and sake selection to boot Here's how to make two of Bar at Nakaji's pretty drinks ShobuShobu is the name of a Japanese Iris. Recipe courtesy of Bar at Nakaji MarimoA marimo ball is a rare growth form of algae which grows into large green balls with a soft They are native to Japan where they naturally grow at Lake Akan in Hokkaido Hero image: Shobu cocktail from Bar at Nakaji The chef behind the One MICHELIN Star spot in Oceanside shares his delicious recipe A recipe for cabbage potage from California’s Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant Chef Patrick O'Connell of The Inn at Little Washington Dishes on George Washington’s Favorite Fruit 500 stomps on the dough lead to his ideal udon From the journal of a MICHELIN Guide Inspector Experience Japanese culture through Shojin ryori vegetarian cuisine our MICHELIN Guide inspectors incessantly sample dishes from the best chefs and restaurants in Japan From Ancient History Books and Traditional Poetry to the Tea Ceremony: Transmitting Culinary Culture to the World From the coldest martini to the fast gin fizz there’s so much to experience at this NYC cocktail bar Crafting Sustainable Cocktails: An Inside Look at Innovative Bar Programs The Inn of the Anasazi serves some of Santa Fe’s best New Mexican cuisine Now it’s a destination for tequila enthusiasts One writer goes alcohol free at an exclusive tasting Tipples that go beyond the classic Shirley Temple The San Francisco One Star and Green Star proves the power of creativity these are the drinks that whet our Inspectors' palettes Shirley Temple but today’s non-alcoholic drinks are elevated and tasty Non-members can add the privileges at checkout through our 30 day free trial By continuing I accept the Terms & Condition and Privacy Policy. I would like to receive Newsletter from MICHELIN Guide Save lists of your favorite restaurants & hotels Make your way down down an alley, ring the doorbell, and be escorted past a sliding door to arrive at this dark and moody bar, one half Nakaji producer of Baahubali gave a talk on Film production – then & now – the many aspects of technology on 9 November Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni are an Indian film producer duo a film production company known for its works in Telugu cinema Their notable productions include Vedam in 2010 the Baahubali film series from 2015 to 2017 Yarlagadda and Devineni have together garnered 2 National Film Awards 1 Zee Cine Awards Telugu and the Saturn Award It produces television content in six languages (Telugu Shobu has worked as line producer for films such as Morning Raaga He was Executive Producer for films such as Bobby and Pandurangadu The International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad is an information technology research university based in Hyderabad The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response Coco & Rum opened in the former TS:One bar, on Middlesbrough's Linthorpe Road on Tuesday, with staff welcoming diners keen to taste the Thai cuisine on offer. The venue was bought by the owner of Saltburn 's Coco & Rum restaurant and after gaining planning permission work started to transform the venue into a stylish new eatery The restaurant's Facebook page promises "a true taste experience of Bangkok’s unvarnished heritage and a wide variety of food in a cozy Thai ambience" There are a range of delicious looking starters and mains There is also a separate lunch menu plus a cocktails and mocktails menu hailed the first night in business a great success "We had plenty of bookings and they all enjoyed it and said they had a lovely night," he said "Our Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke came along for opening night and we had a lovely chat He seemed very impressed and wished us well with it "He didn't eat but said he will be back for a meal with his family." Shobu said he hopes the new restaurant will help change people's perceptions of the town centre and what it has to offer for diners "People think a lot of negatives about Middlesbrough but we want to help people remove that perception and bring more people into the town centre," he said "Nice venues and nice shops are good for everyone - for business and the local community." The TS:One building formerly operated as a Barclays Bank until 1976 when it became the office for Leech Homes It opened its doors as the popular bar back in 2013 and was previously part of The Dickens Inn family before closing in July 2022 Join Teesside Live's WhatsApp community for top stories and breaking news sent directly to your phone For breaking news in your area direct to your inbox every day, go here to sign up to our free newsletter Uneven but pleasant sounds from Shobu Gakuen “otto & orabu” which was originally published in Japanese language on 3 September Members of “otto” reacting to sounds and playing instruments as if they were an extension of their bodies you can feel their joy in listening to music and playing together Conductor of “otto & orabu” and Shobu Gakuen facility director FUKUMORI Shin His conducting style is like a conversation between the members with sound He tells us: “The ‘right’ thing to do is to deliver energy Even in soft sounds you can feel when it comes from the heart.” “It’s been two months since our last practice the director of Shobu Gakuen – facility for persons with developmental mental and physical disabilities in Kagoshima starts the rehearsal by addressing all the members that have gathered He is also the conductor of “otto & orabu.” We visited at the beginning of July which was the first day of practice for a performance planned in August The session started with members gradually playing sounds as if they were verifying each other’s presence through rhythm Fukumori describes “otto & orabu” as a “super amateur group.” “Otto” is a percussion group with 23 people “Orabu” which means to “shout” in Kagoshima dialect is a chorus group of about 8 staff members The atmosphere of the rehearsal is relaxed – members jump around You can feel that everyone is genuinely responding to sounds and are having fun playing their instruments Fukumori’s conducting is almost like he is having a conversation with everyone through sound He faces everyone like it’s a serious match When he conducts with expressions that are sometimes more musical than the music and uneven sounds accompanied with various movements Expressive sounds are mixed together through this fluent exchange you forget who has or doesn’t have a disability and then realize: “Why do I need to even distinguish between the two?” games and magic tricks are inserted to keep everyone focused “Where did the cameraman for today’s interview come from Such interactions accompany each question and answer causing a lot of laughter This makes everyone comfortable and the communication more intimate This sense of trust enables the members to respond to Fukumori’s conducting and to play sounds without hesitation “Today was a light practice” Fukumori told us afterwards He says that sometimes they will stop playing and start all over when they want to get it right We asked Fukumori what his criteria for “right” was: “One is to be able to repeat what was really good Another is to get out an energy that is specific to each member If this doesn’t happen we will often start over.”  The meaningless shouting of “orabu” is also the inauguration process for the new staff members This year’s batch shouted without fear at their first day of practice One time a veteran cooking staff who never uses the computer typed on the keyboard randomly who plays the Bombo drum said: “I will explain to you about ‘otto & orabu’.” “It’s shouting but you make that voice round and shape it like smoke erupting from a volcano – that is ‘otto & orabu.’ A miracle happens and the forest spirits come together and shout These are connected with voices of water and insects and as if people are shouting in the forest The morning at Shobu Gakuen starts with cleaning the facility followed by radio calisthenics The birth of “otto & orabu” is closely linked to the history of how things are made at Shobu Gakuen and each facility member makes art and crafts based on their character They also exhibit and sell the work made here The production process is unique because they include materials that would usually be discarded such as damaged wood Fukumori reflects: “Instead of teaching how to make it polished if that person is good at making things rough then as staff we try to think of how to build on this The staff may suggest: ‘Maybe a rough piece of wood would look good for serving food and sake.’ In this way we shifted the focus of making things to be original and creative with the help of other’s ideas.” Another unique character of Shobu Gakuen is that the staff think of what “they” can make and put that into practice “Our staff would acquire skills in woodwork or ceramics and make something that the facility members can color their goals are not to train and achieve something but just to be creative with what they already have We are taking advantage of how our staff are very motivated to learn and train We call this combination ‘Shobu style.’ When things don’t match whatever the staff makes becomes their own solo artwork.” The question mark embodies a message: “There is no answers “otto” was formed out of the same ideas of how they make things at Shobu why not make a new kind of off-rhythm music together with the staff?” Fukumori was convinced that he couldn’t make music because he didn’t know how to play the piano he invited a piano teacher and tried out different methods “When the facility members played Taiko drums with Miles Davis playing in the background it sounded really cool it was too free and all over the place that you couldn’t listen to it it started to take some shape.” Fukumori knew how to communicate and engage people with various disabilities so he was instructing the piano teacher how to time the notes or match their rhythm I started to think that this was not only music I realized that I was seeing common scenes in their daily lives normal actions for the facility members like playfully splashing in a water puddle making scratches on a piece of wood in the workshop you start to think that the sounds and actions are pleasant Perceptions of music that were established through years of education were completely reset by playing with “otto.” “My sensibility towards what I thought was a good sound or what was beautiful started to change older people who are not used to rock music might think that the sound of the electric guitar is unpleasant If there is that much difference on how sound is perceived then there can be that many different kinds of sounds ‘Do Re Mi’ doesn’t always have to proceed to ‘Fa’.” It felt like they were making a new kind of indigenous music Sometimes it is ritualistic and other times it’s for fun we can catch a glimpse of how people live their everyday life The songs of “otto & orabu” are often made from phrases or ideas initially brought by Fukumori that are extended with elements found through playing together This photo is a score for a song that was inspired by a tangled thread It was 5 years after “otto” started that the staff-only chorus group “orabu” was formed Fukumori initiated this group with hopes that the staff would be equally challenged as the members of the facility Since then “otto & orabu” has been active as a percussion and a “meaningless shouting” chorus group At first there were many instances before concerts where the roles of the staff and facility members where flipped “The staff were ‘disabled by the pressure to succeed’ while the facility member where enjoying themselves as usual the staff are much more relaxed and are able to have fun” (laugh) Although the music of “otto & orabu” is often thought to be improvised Fukumori says that this music is not completely free There are rules in order to maintain a groove with the off-tempo playing and to keep a balance with the overall sound world that they try to create The facility members cannot make music on their own but it’s not fun if the staff are the only ones playing A new world opens up because they coexist and support each other within the diversity they bring While watching the performance of “otto & orabu” thinking about such things their music started to feel like a device that give us a peek into another world It has a power that makes us enjoy listening on our own terms The sound of a water puddle becomes pure and a scratched-up piece of wood becomes beautiful Their music individually triggers a change in each person’s perception of music KI is an impressive Bombo drum player and is a member of the “Woodwork Studio.” He shapes wood using various chisels and hammers away without any hesitation These pieces are later refined by the staff and sold he has made artwork out of carving and painting a whole wood log Yoshimori has a distinct way of following the rhythm while posing with his hands crossed At the “Washi / Painting and Drawing Studio” which he is a member of Yoshimori draws fish with a primitive feel The name of his fish is “Blackhole Ice Thunder Shark.” Follow us on social media for notifications about The Nippon Foundation DIVERSITY IN THE ARTS events Home » Gallery » Tollywood » Photos: Shobu Yarlagadda And Prabhas In London For Special Screening Of Baahubali 2 At Royal Albert Hall He is the editor of SocialNews.XYZ and President of AGK Fire Inc developing mobile applications and publishing news articles on current events from various authenticated news sources When it comes to writing he likes to write about current world politics and Indian Movies His future plans include developing SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgment towards any Baahubali Producer Shobu Yarlagadda comes in defense of SPYder Producer Shobu Yarlagadda who became a house-hold name after producing the very successful Baahubali franchise did what many industry folks have been wanting but never did before He publicly called out a website portal after it published a link containing live updates of the movie SPYder The link contained live review of the Telugu version of SPYder His calling out has received a fair amount of support from industry folks and otherwise the topic was even discussed and dissed at the popular Indo-English chat show Koffee with Karan with director Zoya Akhthar terming the practice of live updating as "piracy" Writing a tweet review like this at 330 am when most shows haven’t even started is pathetic on your part @Telugu360 Shinken Shobu Ryu Judo Club based at Warrenpoint Enterprise Centre have made presentations to several of their senior players at a ceremony last week David Jurkiewicz got his 1st Dan and Ciaran Dunbar got his his Orange belt The club was established just under 50 years ago by Martin Savage a former Teacher with St Marks Secondary School Warrenpoint National Judo Coach and a National Level 4 Kata Examiner Martin started coaching Judo in the former Ulster Polytechnic as a student and later in the Budokan Judo Club based in Newry  Martin has since retired from teaching but it is because of him that Shinken Shobu Ryu covers so many areas of Judo instruction coaching in Judo katas which demonstrate perfect throwing principles Martin has gained a deep knowledge of and passion for all things Judo  This passion is matched by his willingness to share his knowledge and experiences with anyone who is interested and wishes to progress within the martial art  Club members have travelled to international competitions in France The Club caters for all ages of student from 5 years of age up to 75 years of age  Students work at their own pace but are given encouragement at every stage  All that is needed is the desire to try something new and learn  The club provide any equipment that is needed until you are ready to commitment fully Paul McConville started Judo in 1978 with the BudoKan Judo Club based in Newry Paul was not into sport of any description but his brother had started Judo and it was suggested that he give it a go  He was a slow learner but as his confidence increased  After two years he won a bronze medal at the NI Junior Championships  He had to take a break for a number of years due to work commitments but with the introduction of the Judo Masters competitions within the UK  Paul has won Gold medals in the Irish Open Championships All Ireland Championships and North-West Open Championship  He has won numerous Silver and Bronze medals at the England Northern Home Championships Salisbury Open and at the High Wycombe and Samurai Masters Championships  He is qualified as a Level 2 Judo Coach and is a keen Judo Kata enthusiast Paul loves nothing more than discussing Judo tactics  His enthusiasm for the Martial Art is infectious and inspiring  He was awarded the 6th dan grade by the British judo Association because of his competitive nature love of the Martial Art and his work in promoting the principles and values of Judo  You cannot gain a 6th Dan award through competition  It is awarded to you by other 6th Dan and higher grade practitioners in recognition of your work within Judo Dawid started his Judo career in Poland aged 9  30+ years later he still the love for the sport/martial art and is still competing in national and international competitions Growing up in Poland he trained within his regional judo team and often attended training sessions with the national team  Over recent years he has competed in a number of Veteran competitions  The World Veterans Championship in Marrakech  In 2020 the World Veterans Championships were held in Warsaw he won silver in the All Ireland Masters in Dublin in 2019 and Gold at the Irish masters in the Under 90kg weight category and in the Open weight category He trains regularly in Shinken Shobu Ryu and is always willing to share his love and knowledge of Judo with everyone  Currently he is preparing to gain his 2nd Dan black belt grade moving up from the Junior class in our sister club All possess a lot of energy and enthusiasm to develop and to basically have fun learning  They keep all of the coaches on their toes Congratulations to Ciaran Dunbar for attaining his Orange belt  Due to work commitments Ciaran doesn’t train as often as he would like but enjoys pushing himself and has done well to attain this grade  Here’s to attaining the Green 3rd Kyu grade over the coming months SEE ALSO: 'RRR': Western Audience Is Convinced That SS Rajamouli's Movie Is A Gay Love Story; Indian Fans Are In Denial “Flying to Hyderabad on @emirates EK526. Airline staff at gate B4 were very rude and harassed our team unnecessarily! Bad attitude and service! “I think one of the @emirates staff was being racist… I fly @emirates regularly and this is the first time I have come across this kind of attitude,” wrote Shobu. Shobu was accompanying director S S Rajamouli and actors Prabhas, Rana Dagubatti and Anushka Shetty for the promotion. April saw a 3% increase in automobile retail sales in India, reaching 2.28 million units. Festive demand, improved consumer sentiment, and a pause in the global tariff war were key factors. While all segments except commercial vehicles saw growth, cautious consumer behavior and price hikes impacted the market. This article is a translated version, which was originally published in Japanese language on 8 January, 2020. Engrossed in his embroidery work with a gentle smile always on his face, MAENO Tsutomu is a long-time participant in the nui project at Shobu Gakuen (Kagoshima Prefecture). Stubbornly sticking to his own pace, he sews slowly, stitch by stitch, the dense, raised aspect of his works seeming to build up almost unnoticed until they come together into three-dimensional pieces. He uses his left hand to pull the yarn to the left. Pushing needle through cloth and yarn once again... He switches to his right hand to pull the yarn to the right. Again and again, he repeats a cycle of picking up and sewing over previous stitches. Close-up, we can see the fluffy softness of the picked-up yarn. Right, left, right—Maeno swaps his needle from hand to hand. He pushes the needle through, then extends his right or left arm to its full length to pull the yarn taut in one direction or the other. A member of the Textiles Workshop at Shobu Gakuen(Kagoshima Prefecture) since 1991, Maeno is a long-time participant in the nui project, where participants “work with a single needle, stitch after stitch,” using textiles as a means of self-expression allowing them to display their individuality. He has been creating works of embroidery for 28 years. Focusing to carefully push the needle through. Maeno using an embroidery hoop for his work. “Air embroidery” is the name that workshop staff have given to one of Maeno’s embroidery techniques. His embroidery is characterized by fuzzy, uneven yarn fibers, an effect created as he picks up previous stitches over and over again, building upward endlessly. A selection of small bobbins of yarn in various colors, prepared by staff, is ready at his work table. “He used to use fine silk thread like the thread used for Oshima pongee, but he switched to woolen yarn two or three years ago. Most of our participants like bright colors, but Tsutomu-san isn’t so picky about color. What he is concerned about is quantity. He seems to want to reassure himself by having a big stockpile of yarn, so if his supplies are running low, he’ll come to the staff and urge us to roll new bobbins for him. He’s unexpectedly stubborn and impatient, haha!” As he picks up the top layer or yarn over and over again, Maeno’s works gain a fluffiness and three-dimensionality 《Untitled》; cotton shirt with mixed media, silk thread /2019 《Untitled》; cotton shirt with silk thread /2005 So how does Maeno achieve his dense, raised embroidery style? I asked FUKUMORI Noriko, founder of the nui project and Deputy General Manager of〈Shobu Gakuen〉. “From when he first started, he’s always liked fine, softer yarns, but his first works were flatter. I think he maybe wasn’t sure how far he should go. It didn’t matter if we told him ‘take the yarn from here,’ or ‘this is how you unwind the yarn’—Tsutomu-san has a stubborn side, so he would cut the yarn halfway through, or take yarn from somewhere else and get all tangled up. At first the staff would warn him about it, but we gave up in the end and he kept on working like that, as he liked. He kept going even when his yarn was all tangled up, and he seemed to be enjoying his ‘air embroidery,’ where the needle doesn’t go through, so we left him to it. And then it feels like his embroidery piled up and became three dimensional while we weren’t looking. We were surprised, too. From that moment on, instead of being critical, we understood that he was better able to create good pieces when he did things his own way, so we left him to work at his own pace, and here we are.” 《Untitled》; cotton organdy, cotton thread, silk thread /2002 This work, in which numerous nubs of thread have been embroidered on soft organdy, was created in 2002. “At that time, we had some Oshima pongee silk thread left over from a previous subcontract, so he was working with that. Pongee silk thread is fine, but Tsutomu picked at it with the tip of his needle to make it really fuzzy. As he continued sewing over it, it became even fuzzier and developed a fluffiness and softness,” Fukumori recalls. “He’s stubborn and sticks to his own pace, but he’s never refused to work on his embroidery. Because his movements are slow, I’ll think he isn’t making much progress, but if I look away for a moment, I’ll look back to find that he’s made a fairly big pile, so you could say that the work itself goes faster that I expect. Maybe it’s that when he’s embroidering, he’s embroidering, and when he’s doing his ‘air embroidery,’ he’s simply having fun.” In this work, Maeno ended up sewing his wooden embroidery hoop to the piece as he embroidered in fine silk thread. He must have picked up the thread many times to create such a fluffy effect. The front and back of the shirt have a completely different aspect. Tangles and cut yarn become a work of art themselves. In the past, Maeno would spend around a year embroidering a single shirt, but in recent years has tended to continue his sewing work over a period of two to three years. When he begins to have difficulty in his movements or his hands still, staff judge that he has finished a piece and try passing him another piece of cloth. When Maeno accepts a new piece of cloth, his previous work is complete. In the case of the black shirt pictured above, Maeno sewed his embroidery hoop to the cloth without noticing, and seems to have decided to present the work as is. Maeno selects and keeps a supply of yarn he likes, wound onto small bobbins by staff. “Work starts in the studio at 9:30 every morning, but Tsutomu-san always goes at his own pace. He’ll take his time putting on his apron, going to the restroom, and so on, and come to the staff to get his needle and scissors at around 10:30, when everyone else has been working for a while. ‘Oh, you’re ready now, are you?’ we’ll tease him, and we’ll all laugh together.” Sticking to his own pace, with a gentle smile on his face, he pulls his yarn to the right, then to the left. Stitch by He’s an old hand at threading the needle. As always, he continues his embroidery at his own pace. 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