Artist Statement
After decades of living in the United States, I am still surprised that my work continues to be influenced by the cultural tradition of my upbringing in Japan. In my work, I explore the boundaries of East and West through absence and presence, void and volume. The silk vessels I create are both transparent and translucent which hold mystries. They have been transforming into a new sculptural form, one more akin to the human body, another container with its own mysteries. My desire for a more permanent medium led me to aluminum, copper and brass mesh. They are transparent and translucent like silk and have a textile quality. It was a natural evolution to enhance the surface with French embroidery knots; silk organza finished edges and gold leaf. Using metal leaf inspired me to inscribe "tanka", traditional Japanese poems. At first discernible, later these inscriptions are more and more hidden. Working in silk and metal continue my collaboration of two culture, East and West.
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