Subtracted Clothing

この世とあの世を分かつ三途の川のほとりで、亡者の服を剥ぎとると伝えられてきた妖怪の奪衣婆（だつえば）は、亡者の衣の重さで、生前の罪の重さを計ると言う。このワークショップでは、奪衣婆対策として、文字通り、服を軽くするためのリメイクを通して、引き算の服作りを行う。具体的には服に穴をあけたり、軽い素材に付け替えたりして、業を脱ぎ去るように、身軽な服を作る。

Datsueba (literally, “old woman who strips clothes”) is a supernatural creature said to wait by the Sanzu, the river separating the world of the living from the world of the dead, ready to take off the clothing of the deceased as they cross the river. She weighs the clothing of the dead to judge the severity of the sins they committed during their life. In this workshop, participants create “subtracted clothes” to literally lighten their attire as a means of dealing with Datsueba when the time comes. They put holes in their clothes and substitute the materials with lighter ones, reducing the weight of their clothes so they can cast off their karma.