He started learning shibori from his mother over thirty-two years ago. "Then it was called tie-dyeing," he says. "I tried doing it a couple of times, in the same way as everyone else, then all of a sudden something took hold and I became so excited about the process. I embraced a few techniques, perfecting and treating them in a manner similar to a mechanic. I would look at a piece and admire just how technically right it was.

"Only much later, after years of working, did Smith realize that his shibori pieces were being smothered by his need for perfection. "It hit me," he