ABOUT

I am an artist. My work is about care and about patching and mending using the Japanese sewing technique sashiko - repaired everyday garments and making compositions. 

Mottainai is a Japanese expression that roughly means: don't waste. The term gives name to a philosophy of frugality. It is also about passing on a knowledge of taking care of things. Caring takes time. Slow stitches; it is not wear and tear, but rather wear and mend in layer after layer. Grew up in a Japanese rural society before the consumer lifestyle took over. A living culture of knowledge transfer based on making use of small resources. During the 1970s I moved to Europe. In the 90s, I studied textile, special interested in Nordic textile pattern culture, and got a MFA at Konstfack, University of Arts, Craft and Design in Stockholm. Since 2006 I live outside Simrishamn in the very south of Sweden. I see the textile cultural heritage as something that enriches and unites us across geographical and generational boundaries.