Japanese textile artists reception April 20

Meet Japanese textile artist Shoji Yamamura and his assistant Makiko Kakihara at an artists reception hosted at the Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum April 20. There will be an artist guided tour.

Their exhibition, “Kurume Ikat Kimono – Shoji Yamamura and Makiko Kakihara,” focuses on Kurume kasuri, a type of woven double ikat, that is considered one of Japan’s great cultural treasures. This traditional textile craft has been produced for more than 200 years in Kurume, on Japan’s southernmost island of Kyushu. Yamamura’s work has been exhibited widely in Japan, Washington D.C. and New York.

The display includes two kimono and four lengths of kimono fabric designed and made by Yamamura, as well as a kimono and fabric length made by Kakihara.

This exhibition is part of a regional visit by Yamamura and Kakihara, co-sponsored and supported by Seattle Art Museum and Western Washington University. Yamamura will give a lecture, entitled “A Living Treasure of Japanese Textiles,” at the Seattle Art Museum, Saturday, April 21, 10-11:30 a.m.

The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. It’ll be open daily in April for the Tulip Festival.

The exhibit closes April 20.