Bunka in detail: alive and dimensional PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 17 February 2011

 

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SUN CITY CENTER - It has been described as painting with thread. Bunka shishu is a Japanese handicraft that has depth and detail to a degree that separates it from mere embroidery. Bunka art comes alive through intricacy and dimension. On February 10, bunka artists from beginners to masters displayed their work at Kings Point; dozens of paintings made with thread illustrated the artists’ perception of everything from life in Florida to the natural world.

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Marjorie Vonderembse, an American Bunka Embroidery Association certified instructor, talks about some of the work on display during the Sun City Center Bunka Arts Club exhibition at Kings Point on Feb. 10.
MITCH TRAPHAGEN PHOTOS
From a distance, the art appears to be an oil painting. But draw nearer and perspective takes hold, giving it a clearly three-dimensional look that is almost impossible to achieve with paint. It is then, upon closer inspection, that the stitching becomes apparent. The three-dimensional appearance comes from thread thickness, knots, or simply from stacking up the thread. As in real life, a rock emerges from a river, the eyes of an animal appear glistening and sunken or, perhaps, the corners of a building or the branches of a tree reach out to the viewer. That dimension, coupled with the intricate detail, is what makes the art most striking. The colors and gradients complete the stunning impression.

“This is an exhibit from all of Sun City Center, Riverview, specific to this area,” said Marjorie Vonderembse of the Sun City Center Bunka Arts Club. “We aren’t selling anything, we are just showing. We are the sponsors of it. We are part of the ABEA, the American Bunka Embroidery Association; they have chapters all over the country.”  Vonderembse is an ABEA certified instructor.

The Bunka Arts Club of Sun City Center is open to all members of the Community Association with annual dues of only $5. The goal of the club is to teach the techniques and practices of the art.

“Beginners can come to us, the teachers. They can come to class here to look around,” Vonderembse said. “We can start them with everything they need.”
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Bunka arts club member Carol Watson displays how the art form is compared to painting with thread.

The club meets every Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.in the Arts and Crafts building “to stitch together for fellowship and to help one another with our projects.”  Instruction for beginners runs from 10 a.m. to noon. An art show, such as that held on Feb. 10, is held annually to showcase the work of club members from the previous year.

“It takes patience and good eyes,” Vonderembse said.

The results speak for themselves in the delicate, intricate, beautiful imagery displayed in the paintings made with thread.

For information about the Bunka Arts Club, call 813-633-0268.