THE BOUNDARIES OF BEAUTY
Exploring Japanese rope art through Naiya Sornratanachai’s lens
Author: Dan Truong | Artwork: Naiya Sornratanachai
KNOTS TWIST AND TIGHTEN intricately adorning the body trapped inside a cage of ropes. Shibari, the ancient Japanese art of rope bondage, is a practice that beautifully blends craftsmanship with trust and connection. Often misunderstood as merely a provocative or sexual act, Shibari’s true essence lies in its ability to explore comfort and discomfort in a seamless way. Shibari has its roots in the martial art of Hojojutsu, a method used by samurai to restrain and sometimes torture captives. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it had evolved into the more erotic and artistic form known as Kinbaku, which translates to ‘tight binding.’ The term ‘Shibari’ simply means ‘tying’. In modern practice, Shibari can involve elements of sexual intimacy, with couples tying each other into various positions. However, the art is not always about physical pleasure. For many, the act of tying and being tied is the primary focus, offering a meditative experience that fosters relaxation, trust, and connection between participants. We interviewed Melbourne-based designer and photographer Naiya Sornratanachai about her Shibari photography work.
Naiya Sornratanachai
深い咲き fukaisaki9, 2020, digital photography.
How did you get started with Shibari? — What sparked your interest and how did you learn the art form? How long have you practiced it for?
What literally roped me (hehe) into the art form was when I had a chance to work with two of the most well-known Shibari artists in Bangkok in late 2018. My teacher from my university then, Gabriel Camelin, got me and my friend a job filming an interview and performance for an article and a promotional video for Bangkok Post’s GURU Magazine. During this time, I had a chance to witness the performance, listen, and also interact with Phetcharada Patcharee AKA Unnamedminor and Yada Kaewburee AKA Yada Kinbaku. By documenting their work I became immersed with the techniques and the philosophy of Shibari.
Most of my learning journey has been self-taught. When I moved to Australia in 2019, this big change and newfound independence gave me the courage to start learning and practising Shibari. The first person I discussed this with was Gabriel, who supported my artistic exploration by providing Shibari reading materials and tutorials that I still use today. My early practice involved tying clay models, figurines, plushies, and various objects, but none of that compares to the experience of tying a person.
Naiya Sornratanachai
深い咲き fukaisaki11, 2020, digital photography.
Eventually, in 2020 I worked with my first human model, Iva Thain, in my photography project 深い咲き (pronounced:fu-kai-sa-ki) or “Deviant Flowers”. I was a little nervous, but I prepared myself to study the risks and the precautions that I needed to take when tying a person. I had constant communication with Iva, explaining my process and also making sure that I wasn’t hurting them and that they were comfortable with what was happening. It was important that there was a sense of trust and security, and for Iva to feel safe with me. Iva described the experience “like being a kid and getting tucked into bed” and I knew I was going in the right direction.
I’ve been practising with human bodies since then and with objects on occasion. Unfortunately, I don’t get to practice Shibari as much as I want anymore due to changes in my situation. Going forward I’d love to attend more classes and be professionally trained for more advanced techniques. Even though I’ve been doing this for a while, I still have a lot to learn! Until recently, most of my Shibari and Kinbaku have been done with close friends or people I already have established some relationship with, but I have plans to work with more people and more diverse body types as well.
Naiya Sornratanachai
深い咲き fukaisaki1, 2020, digital photography.
What made you want to explore the art form of Shibari in your artwork?
I am a firm believer that Shibari is more than sexual practice. Although, this doesn’t mean that I am denying its sexual connotations either—acknowledging them doesn’t invalidate Shibari as an art form. The most important realisation I’ve had since my initial experience is that Shibari has vast potential and can hold different meanings for different people.
Naiya Sornratanachai
dmitri1, 2021, digital photography.
I’ve been on a journey to discover what Shibari means to me, and through my artwork, I see it as a powerful tool for storytelling, self-expression, and connections to other individuals. There is so much to be explored through Shibari.
