Modern Quilt Month: Japanese art quilts

The modern quilt craze has hit Japan !  Here are some spectacular results from Japanese quilt artists.

When the Sunset Crowns Mt. Fuji in my Fascinating Dream, 79 x 67", by Mihoko Tanaka (Miyazaka-Ken, Japan)

Mihoko notes, " Mt. Fuji's imposing appearance attracts visitors from the local area as well as from overseas. Mt. Fuji is especially imposing when the clouds are flowing past the mountain changing not only its shapes, but also its colors during sunsets. It deeply impresses me an creates a kind of 'spirit' that dwells deep in my mind."

Mount Fuji, Japan's highest mountain at 12,389 feet, can be seen from Tokyo on a clear day. Its beauty is often depicted with stunning results, such as Mihoko's use of color saturated silks adorned with a variety of stitches. Mihoko's original design is machine pieced and machine appliqued and quilted.

Stalagmites by Mitsuko Kinoshita (Tokyo, Japan)

Mitsuko says, "I created the scene in the Akiyshidai calcareous cave.  I emphasized the stalagmites and added movement ( by using) tulle fabric."

Close up, Stalagmites by Mitsuko Kinoshita

Mitsuko's shimmering work, in which the stalagmites are seen as ethereal forms descending though a mist, was part of a retrospective of Yokohama Quilt Week  at the 2013 Houston International Quilt Festival.

Light of Rays by Michiyo Fukumoto (Anan, Tokushima, Japan)

Michiyo states, " I expressed icy and clear light spreading in freezing winter with my favorite monotone colors. I quilted with lame thread and used the luster of satin to emphasize the part of [bright] light."

Close up, Light of Rays by Michiyo Fukumoto

Michiyo's outstanding sense of design and symmetry shows very well as she skillfully arranges neutral tones into light and dark hues.  Her work is machine pieced and machine quilted. We love the pretty cerulean fabric at the top, which seems to us like a hint of blue sky peeking through the winter clouds.

Evolution by Keiko Ike

Second place winner for Best of Country at the  2013 Pacific International Quilt Festival,  Keiko writes, "I have been living with grief in my heart since the 2011 East Japan Great Earthquake and have spent a lot of time thinking about reconstructing Japan. One day, an illustration that I unintentionally drew gave me an idea; and I wanted to express it on a quilt. I wholeheartedly pray for progress and evolution in the future and tried to put this idea on this quilt like it is to be my future life. " 

Close up, Evolution by Keiko Ike 

This exquisite quilt  is designed as a non-objective pattern using mostly solid color shapes, with long slender strands. We love the fabulous quilting, especially the strands of feathers that languidly run horizontally and vertically.   Keiko's original design is machine pieced, appliqued, and quilted. 

Life, 80 x 80", by Yoshiko Katagiri

Yoshiko Katagiri was one of the world renowned international teachers at the 2013 Pacific International Quilt Festival. She has been a quilt maker for over thirty years, winning her first quilt show prize in 1990. Yoshiko states, "Our daily action may be the moving of a circle in the time of the globe. But I feel each circle is brilliant and lovely."

Life by Yoshiko Katagiri, Japan

These carefully appliqued circles contain bits and pieces from silk kimono fabric.  A beautiful display of pale colors or of motifs with a white background, they stand out elegantly against a sophisticated dark background, which appears to be hand quilted. Yoshiko's  striking and innovative design made this quilt one of our favorites at the entire festival.

 Believe II by Reiko Nobata (Nanto City, Toyama, Japan)

Reiko notes, "People, once in a while, can't step forward when they do something. They wonder whether this is the right direction and something wrong might happen to them. There are mixed feelings of expectation and uneasiness. There must be good results, if they believe in themselves. Call up all your courage and go forward. " Reiko's original work is machine pieced and quilted.

Close-up, Believe II by Reiko Nobata

To us, this piece seems to depict a giant vortex or maze, with an opening of light at the end of the swirled tunnel. We imagine that it might symbolize the swirl of decisions or choices that all of us face in our quest to meet our goals. Notice how the parallel lines of quilting help to distinguish and highlight each piece of fabric from the others.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2013 Pacific International Quilt Festival and Houston International Quilt Festival.

International Quilts From P.I.Q.F. 2012

Today we're featuring some wonderful quilts from different countries that were displayed at the Pacific International Quilt Festival in October, 2012.  We think you'll really enjoy these intriguing works from New Zealand, Germany and Japan!

Ride With Me, 35.5 x 37.5, by Joanne Mitchell, New Zealand

This enchanting merry-go-round pony is actually very high tech. There's a motion sensor sewn into the quilt which causes lights to flash and music to play whenever a viewer walks near it.  Joanne writes, "An original design based on the early carousel horse of my childhood. The original music from the old steam driven organ and the flashing lights are all part of the memory. Thanks for the technical assistance from my husband Paul and Carl of LED Dunedin."

Close-up of  Ride With Me

In this close-up, you can see some of the sparkling embellishments on the carousel itself, as well as the beautiful quilting on the horse's head and mane. Featured on the cover of  New Zealand Quilter,  "Ride With Me", won not only First Place but the Viewer's Choice Award in the Hoffman Challenge.

Mandala Magic, 69 x 69, by Judith Ross, New Zealand

Judith notes : " [The circular designs] of mandalas have always fascinated me. I enjoy the contrast between their restful symmetry and joyous colour. This original design is based on ceiling mandalas I saw in Sikkim temples. Techniques include printing on silk, machine piecing, applique, and quilting. The centre is a piece of the antique Indian zardozi embroidery." For more information,about Judith's creative \and original quilts, please visit Judith Ross' website.

Pineapple Blue, 61 x 84, by Brigitte Morgenroth, Germany

Blue ribbon winner for "Best Use of Color" in the World Quilt category, Brigitte says, "Pineapple is a variation of a log cabin pattern; the pattern is very clear and severe, but so interesting and modern thanks to the choice of colours and materials. Dupioni silk gives wonderful light and shadow reflections because it was sewn in different directions. This work is paper pieced, and the white circles are magnified through hand quilting."   For more information on this talented quilter, please visit Brigitte Morgenroth's website.

Zen by Yoshiko Katagiri,  Japan

P.I.Q.F. 2012 featured a special exhibit titled "Life", by very skilled Japanese quilter Yoshiko Katagiri. She created the "Life" exhibit in gratitude for the contributions of quilters and others around the world to the relief work after the 2011 large scale earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Yoshiko notes that this natural disaster and the help sent to Japan caused her to consider the role of nature in our lives and the importance of the lives of each animate being, no matter how small.Yoshiko's "Zen" quilt displays a giant red peony flower, sitting placidly amidst a contingent of energetic dragonflies.  

Close-up of Zen
 

Yoshiko notes,  "The peony is called the 'queen of flowers' in China.... but the Japanese people [often liken it to] the image of  a beautiful sitting woman." In this close-up, you can see some of the intricate piecing involved in the construction of the flower.  

Uneri by Yoshiko Katagiri

The word "Uneri" in Japanese can be loosely translated to mean "Undulation, or like a wave that rises and falls."  Yoshiko writes, ...."Life has many ups and downs. Sometimes it pulls by a strong power; the other times it tangles by various happenings, like a rope."  Yoshiko has characterized the "peaks and valleys" of life by depicting them them as these colorful fabric ropes which twist, turn, and wind around each other. 

Ushio by Yoshiko Katagiri

A very approximate translation of  "Ushio" is "the tide."  Yoshiko says, "The regions where the earthquake and tsunami hit had the luxuriant forests and the rich sea. ......The destroyed forests and sea are going to [recover]  by the efforts of numerous people."  We love these vibrant, eye-catching fish with their strong fins, which swim in all directions, both with the current of the water and against it. Look carefully, and you'll see several outlines of fish quilted into the black background.  

Corona by Yoshiko Katagiri

Brilliant warm colors denote the flames of gas which surround the sun's surface like a crown ; hence the name "corona." Yoshiko notes,  "Without the sun, I imagine that life would never have existed on earth. I think that the entity of the sun itself is natural, but close to wondrous. "