#OneWeek100People 2026: Shibari Sketching!

One of my late-night sketching opportunities was a public performance at Tension Montreal.

(They’re kind of a community center for the sex-positive alternative lifestyle crowd in town.)

Montreal has always had a strong Japanophile slant (< omg that’s bad, no pun intended). We have what seems to be more than our fair share of anime cafe’s, Japanese film festivals, etc.

Tension is kind of a dojo, offering both beginner training and free-practice opportunities in the art of Shibari (縛り), which literally means “to tie” in Japanese, and originates from Hojo-jutsu, a martial art used by Samurai to restrain captives.

Today it is an artform emphasizing aesthetic patterns and the human body. To crib a definition from the net; “Shibari emphasizes trust, vulnerability, and emotional exchange. The act of tying and being tied fosters a connection where the rigger (person tying) and the bottom (person being tied) communicate nonverbally through the rope. Masters of Shibari describe it as a way to express love, emotions, and energy, with the rope serving as a medium for emotional and physical dialogue.”

Certainly there are elements of BDSM if that’s where you want take it – though Shibari is considered a bit separate from the related art of Kinbaku, which is overtly erotic. (Even pornographic).

While Tension does host a regular life drawing group, this evening was their annual open house – more of a stage performance, with a continual rotation of volunteer artists and models performing complex ties and suspensions.

Quite challenging for a sketcher!

Despite the fact the model is tied up (or down) – they’re still in constant motion. Never in one pose for too long – as there is a lot of concern given for blood circulation and general safety and comfort. The rigger is moving constantly making adjustments. Over all, I had more fails than successes in my drawing), but that’s ok.

I do love tearing up a bad drawing on the spot. It always makes people gasp :)