Q. We heard that you graduated from Joshibi University of Art and Design, Faculty of Arts Department – Art Studies. When you say you have back ground in art and design, we usually think of painting. So, how did you become interested in quilting?

I didn’t know what a quilt was at first! I have loved fabric itself ever since I can remember. My aunt was a Western-Style dressmaker and teacher. And my grandmother was a Japanese-Kimono dressmaker and teacher! It just so happened that there was always someone sewing in the house!

When I was about 10 years old, I used a sewing machine a lot as a child. Sewing machines were like my toy!

At the time, I wanted to be a clothing fashion designer or work in the fashion industry. So originally, I would rather go to Bunka Fashion College instead of Joshibi University of Art and Design. (Smile!)

But, college was really fun! In junior high and high school, I really didn’t enjoy it. So, I refused to go. What we would now call “voluntary truancy.”

So, what I did was make whatever I wanted at home with my sewing machine! I liked sewing at that time, so I found many dress patterns of famous designers in “SOEN” magazine. I would make all of them from scratch and I made a lot! (Laughs).

-So, you are able to make clothing easily?

Not as easy as it sounds, but sometimes I do! I did dressmaking as work for the Japanese book “Suteki Ni Handmade” and other such projects.

Q. When we look at your work, we get the feeling that it is very much like a painting. Sometimes it looks like a watercolor, sometimes like an oil painting, and it really seems like we are admiring a painting.

I have seen a great deal of painting. I am an art student, so my university assignment was to go to an art museum exhibition and write reports on them. As I was doing this, I began to think that it would be more interesting to work as a curator or art director.

-What do you consider when designing your products?

Basically, I think in terms of themes. For example, if I receive a theme of “Impressionism,” and I am specifically asked for “Renoir,” then…I think about how to incorporate that style into my own work.

I try to find the points of contact within myself. It is not my intention to create the theme as it is. But, I look for points of reference and create them.

I also like natural images of nature, so I follow that kind of style. Whatever the theme, I try to look at it through my own filter.

Perhaps, many artists have definitive principles and do not actually shout it out loud, but they shout it out loudly in their works. But, I am more of a “listener.” So rather than emitting a voice, ideally I would like to create a mirror – – A mirror that reflects the viewer and a mirror that reflects my own heart. So, I don’t have any principles, but I do have a philosophy. Philosophy is at the axis and I can talk to the people there!

I do have a philosophy at the core of my work, and then I engage in a dialogue with the viewer. I made a scenery quilt entitled “Landscape” a while back, but I didn’t dare mention where the landscape was.

I just happened to take some out-of-focus photos taken abroad. Then… at that time, I decided to create a work of art that was not “anywhere,” but “somewhere” I had seen before. And…depending upon the viewer, it could look like many different places. It could be a wide open field, a wide blue sky or any other place – – depending upon the person who views it.

And when the viewer sees it, it brings out his or her original landscape or nostalgia and then the emotional impression occurs!

When that happens, the work becomes a mirror! When I held a solo exhibition of my “Landscape” quilt, I was so surprised that many people cried.

Q. We heard that you also do your own dyeing of fabrics! How did you get started with dyeing?

When I started quilting, I was living in the countryside and there were not many quilt stores or fabric stores at that time. Because there were not many fabrics that I wanted, I decided to make my own!

-Amazing! I saw the pictures of your work and it really looks like a master craftsman.

I am really a self-starter! I only asked someone who truly understood dyes and materials, and the rest was just my style of work. So to speak, it was not necessary to dye the fabric evenly and perfectly.
In my case, I wanted the blotting and unevenness.

If I wanted to dye fabric uniformly and beautifully, I would have to be a craftsman, but since I didn’t need uniformity – – I could just go ahead and dye like I was painting!

All I needed to know was, how to prepare the dye – – so it was just a matter of combining the chemicals!

As I talk with the colors – – dyeing fabric means that I am facing the colors – – so my mind and feelings of that day really comes out! The weather, the climate, and other factors – – all come out in the color tones…which I think is very interesting!

Q.　When I referred to your web site, I saw the term “Healing Art”. Will you please explain this further? I am very interested in this.

This was back when healing was not yet a booming business. I was working on a piece with the goal of a competition contest, just in case there wasn’t a deadline for the entry.

However, a contest is a battleground, isn’t it? So, if you don’t have a fighting spirit inside of you, it’s a tough place to be!

I thought that I am not the type of person who is suited for such a place of battle. So, I wondered how I could express my personality – – and the landscape piece I just mentioned, was from that time.

I happened to have a blessed encounter with Fashion Designer, Ms. Hanae Mori, who had a basement space in her building of about 3.5 square meters that she owned. I was able to rent that space at a very reasonable price and had regular solo exhibitions there. At that time, many people – including art dealers – came to see my collection. I had small artwork and framed works rather than large pieces. So, I had customers buy the smaller or framed works, rather than the large ones. But, most of my large creations went to counselors, hospitals, and other medical care facilities.

Oh…So you didn’t actually intend to do that?

Of course, it was not my intention, but I heard that a counselor bought it – – with the intention of drawing out their client’s story by looking at my work, by leaving it in the counseling room.
“I think they liked the non-assertive impression and appeal of the image. (Laughs).
Then, many medial or hospital-related customers were coming to put my artwork in their facilities. So, I thought that my works can be utilized to ease the pain or heal the mind and heal the heart. Therefore, I decided to call my work, “Healing Art!”

-So are you creating your work as “Healing Art?” But, you do not have a medical background?

No…But, the art dealers came to me with a completely different request. They would recommend me to the hospital Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. They asked me to make a piece for one of the Senior Citizens’ homes and even for the Entrance Hall for the General Hospital! According to their request, I made it!

So I am still more of a designer than a quilt artist. It is easier for me to create a piece if you give me a specific aim, because then – – I have a clear goal in mind. There is such a thing as “Color Psychology.” I have heard that there are wavelengths of colors that affect and repair the body and DNA.

I see! The color, itself, is profound!

Yes, it is deeply profound. A painting has texture, but fabric also has texture. So the texture of fabric is more of a people-friendly medium.

Q. With the current tragic situation in Ukraine, I think it is very necessary to be able to heal the heart through colors and fabrics like this. I am very interested in this work because it is a time when people are looking even more closely, at their inner self – – due to the plague of Corona virus and other diseases.

I think the interesting thing about quilts is their diversity. In the U.S., the culture of quilting is connected to community, to volunteering, to quilting bees where people get together to make quilts and donate them – – to selling them, and so on.

Whenever there is a need, people volunteer to make quilts, sell them, collect money and donate it! I learned this from a student who came to my school. I had read about the history of quilts, but I didn’t know anything about quilts in the first place. (Laughs!)

That’s what the current learners are doing through quilts. Then, I thought – – I can do this!

After the 9/11 attack, I happened to have a contract job in the U.S. and had to go there. At that time, when I would go to a country on an overseas assignment, my students would often go with me on an organized tour because they wanted to go to a quilt festival or something like that.

But, it was right after the incident, so I wondered if anyone would go? Even so, about half of the scheduled participants stayed behind. We were able to get there safely, but since we were still going under such circumstances, we decided that we should bring something to express our sympathy.

So I decided to initiate the way volunteers do things – and thought – “I can do volunteer work with a quilt!”
It doesn’t have to be a complicated design, but it can be done so that everyone can do it – – and everyone can make a little bit of it!

At that time, we each made a mini tapestry of about 20 cm square and connected them together. Even the people, who were not going, entrusted us to assemble theirs. So we ended up with a piece of about 2 meters long! When we brought the piece to the festival, they were very pleased and displayed it in the best part of the venue! I believe it was then, donated, to a type of Memorial Center.

― Well, that’s the time when our hearts communicate. That’s when our hearts are in tune with each other!

I agree! That’s why I want to tell everyone – – that they can also do this with their quilts too!

Q. Do you have any major aspirations or challenges with your own work?

I think we are entering a period of some kind of shift. Everything has changed because of the Covid virus.

Also, I am taking care of my husband now, so I am not able to actively do the kind of work I want to do – as in the past.

I am told that I am doing a lot of things that I want to do (laughs), but I thought I would explore new things with my time – during this Covid situation.

-Are you going to take on any new ventures in the future?

Yes, I will. But, after all, our students have been with us for a long time. It’s as if there’s nothing left to teach. 10 years have passed without a problem, and some students have been with us for 20 years or so! Some of them quit, due to the Covid situation, and in that sense it was probably the right time for them to take a break. But, there are still some who continue to come and I think that’s very important.

With that important factor in place, I would like to go in a different direction and try an activity with various people, rather than doing something on my own. I’ve been doing this for a while now, but it’s like a collaboration with totally different people. What I am continuing to do now, is collaborate with a physical therapist, which is kind of a cross-industry collaboration that links health and quilting art!

I also did a series of articles for a magazine! I am wondering if I can do more things, while continuing that as well – – If I can do as much as I can – – without limiting the scope in any way.

After all, the body and mind are very important to me, so I feel like I am pursing that!

Q. Can you tell us what you would like to promote in your future endeavors?

-Just like a painting…It’s all about individuality, wherby each work expresses their personality!

Yes! Yes! Yes! Especially in my group (Laughs). Everyone is “Really Different!”