About Me

I consider myself a textile artist but more than that, a dyer.  It’s a term I connect to more strongly since my roots come from a place where one could do that for a living or at least practice as a craft.

My formative years were spent in Kagoshima, Japan,  on southern Kyushu (Satsuma Prefecture).  My closest neighbors were dyers and weavers. Their children were my playmates, so I was in their quarters almost daily.  That experience left a lasting impression.

My journey to textile work has been a long one. I studied art at the Maryland Institute in Baltimore and much later was introduced to the study of textiles and dyeing at Meredith College in Raleigh. My introduction to indigo came even later, and in a sense felt like a homecoming.

Teaching and workshops extend to Japanese language at a local high school, United Arts Council’s Artist In Schools Program, Artspace in downtown Raleigh, Meredith College, Beaufort Arts Center (Beaufort, NC) and Duke University through the Asian Pacific Studies Institute.

The work is simply a manifestation of a love of color and shibori techniques.  It’s an exploration in textiles as well, with the focus, of course, being indigo and the many challenges that it brings.  Teaching workshops and custom dye work from independent customers and Raleigh Denim has brought challenges and inspiration that feed my intrigue with this dye.  Needless to say, I am deeply grateful to each one as it always bring new learning.