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By Patricia Belyea
TOKYO JP I met up with Sachiko Yoshida when I first arrived at the Tokyo Quilt Festival. Sachiko, an honored sensei, has taught for 30 years in the Tokyo area. Behind us is Connections, Sachiko’s newest masterpiece.
Sachiko and I took a stroll around the Wa and Original Design competitions to see some of her students’ work. All her students’ quilts radiated with asymmetric designs, gorgeous old silk kimono fabrics, and precise hand stitching.
Wa Category
Wa refers to harmony in Japan. Everyone’s lives and interactions aspire to be tension-free and thoughtful of others. It’s a gracious form of selflessness.
Here are two winning quilts from the Wa competition:
Original Design
Many of the Original Design quilts this year were much freer than ever before in Tokyo. See for yourself.
Traditional Category
Once again, non-stop Wows in the Traditional Category. Check out a few of the most charming.
New Quilts by Japanese Artists
This invitational category includes the works of 52 leading contemporary quilt artists from Japan. Sachiko’s quilt was in this exhibit. Here are some of those outstanding quilts.
Noriko Nozawa Spring is in the Air
Fukuko Tanaka VIVA!! AFRICA II
Misako Imamura Congratulations!
Reiko Naganuma What Autumn Forest Tells Me
Noriko Hasegawa Listen!
Grand Prix Winners
This is a big deal every year. The winners are behind roped barricades and it's almost impossible to get a photo through the crowds.
Hand Making Award : Sachiko Takatani
Japan Quilt Grand Prix First Place: Hitomi Mishima
Japan Quilt Grand Prix Second Place: Kyoko Takeda
There is so much more to see yet if I add any more photos to this post, I’ll break your digital device!
To see the Special Exhibits at the 2019 Tokyo Quilt Festival +click here
To see close-up details of the quilts in the major exhibits at the 2019 Tokyo Quilt Festival +click here
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ABOUT US: Okan Arts, a petite family business, is co-owned by mother-daughter duo Patricia Belyea and Victoria Stone. Patricia and Victoria sell Japanese textiles online, host creative quilting experiences, and lead quilting & textile tours to Japan.
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