Featured Artist June 2017

Kimiko Kogure

Kimiko Kogure grew up in Japan at the edge of the gently sloping Kantou plain near Tokyo that is bounded by three mountains under a vast sky. Countless experiences of nature in childhood cultivated an intimate relationship with her surroundings. These experiences allow her to tap into the inner workings of Japan’s natural wonders

Kimiko moved to San Francisco in 1978 and has worked with all kinds of media since earning her MFA at California College of the Arts in 1990. She has exhibited widely in the Bay Area and was recently part of the InFusion Art Show presented by the Berkeley-Sakai Association at Berkeley Art Center. In 2016 she had a solo exhibition of her quilts at the Orinda Library Art Gallery. She has been commission for public mosaics and stained glass in Orinda and San Francisco.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Working with my hands and exploring the possibilities of different materials has been thrilling to me all my life. As an artist, I have experimented with glass, wood, fibers, paper, tiles, etc. Seeking harmony with the character of the materials determines the process and the results. I let nature guide me—my part in determining the direction of the work is a small one. All of my recent fabric work is experimental and explorative. Spending time with the materials and letting them direct the process, I came up with an image that merges different pieces of cloth. I respect each component and do not force them together.

I enjoy contemplating the history of the individual fabric while I work, imagining those who used the fabric in various ways in the past: a mother who mended her son’s Kimono over and over; a weaver who matched the color of flower on her hair to her poncho; a father’s hands touching the initials on the handkerchief and his son who thought of him every time he did the same; a young mother’s fingers lovingly embroidering her first baby’s pillow case. They are all embedded in the fabrics sewn together. I create new memories by piecing together fragments of precious old ones.

Click here to view more of her work