Yumiko Kawai

The composition of "circles" is characteristic of Japanese outsider artist Yumiko Kawai’s works. She plans the layout, and starts to sew the circles in her own style. Although she works on several circles at a time, the fineness of the seams differs from one circle to another, and each one of them has its own figuration. As the pieces of cloth are embroidered in layers, they are tightly compressed, rise up, and eventually form conical shapes with density.

Imura practices at Atelier Yamanami in Shiga, Japan: a creative space for adult artists with disabilities. Although friendly and chatty, she prefers to work alone when she does embroidery. Her work has been exhibited at Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland, California, in the 2017 show titled "Labor of Love." 

Courtesy of Creative Growth