Yuen no Akari: Light from Far-Away Space200178 3/4 × 48"Antique Japanese fabrics and hand-woven silkGift of the artist2001.30.10contemporary quilt made of antique Japanese fabric and hand-woven silk1542472985Setsuko ObiTextilesCopyright for this work is under review.TokyoTokyoJapanTextilesTokyoYuu: broad and magnificent En: remote and far away Akari: light
The evocation of light and space through gradual shifts in color has been the primary focus of this quilt artist. Setsuko Obi began to quilt in 1977, when she and her husband moved from Japan to Los Angeles for a period of five years. She became intrigued by the sensation of depth that could be achieved in a single-block construction solely through subtle color changes. The complicated pieced block that the artist has devised is reminiscent of origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. The fabrics are primarily from antique Japanese kimonos and futons, including aizome (indigo), sarasa (chintz), shima (stripe), kohshi (check), and muslin. The center motifs are mostly hanagara momen (floral pattern cottons), while stripes and checks are used for the edges. The border is made from hand-woven silk (tsumugi) which was purchased directly from weavers in local towns. The artist describes the effect of the 231 blocks in this quilt as a “sublime and mysterious light” emerging from blue-black space.
Stacy C. Hollander, label caption from the exhibition "Quilted Constructions: The Spirit of Design, 2001."
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information.
To help improve this record, please email photoservices@folkartmuseum.orgquiltTextiles20012001 2001 30 1 Yuu: broad and magnificent En: remote and far away Akari: light
The evocation of light and space through gradual shifts in color has been the primary focus of this quilt artist. Setsuko Obi began to quilt in 1977, when she and her husband moved from Japan to Los Angeles for a period of five years. She became intrigued by the sensation of depth that could be achieved in a single-block construction solely through subtle color changes. The complicated pieced block that the artist has devised is reminiscent of origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. The fabrics are primarily from antique Japanese kimonos and futons, including aizome (indigo), sarasa (chintz), shima (stripe), kohshi (check), and muslin. The center motifs are mostly hanagara momen (floral pattern cottons), while stripes and checks are used for the edges. The border is made from hand-woven silk (tsumugi) which was purchased directly from weavers in local towns. The artist describes the effect of the 231 blocks in this quilt as a “sublime and mysterious light” emerging from blue-black space.
Stacy C. Hollander, label caption from the exhibition "Quilted Constructions: The Spirit of Design, 2001."
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information.
To help improve this record, please email photoservices@folkartmuseum.orgquiltTextiles