Dolls made of felt do not have a seam or a stitch unlike the ones made of cloth or leather. The main theme of my articles involves making a synthetic beast of a human being and an animal. They have very interesting finish because they don't have stitches. One day when I was looking at a picture book aimlessly, I found a very beautiful giant clam named Odontodactylus scyllarus. An idea flashed into my mind and made a synthetic beast of Merfolk and a giant clam. But a flash does not suddenly happens. Everything accidentally comes to join together when thinking of a completed version and manufacturing process. Images were also defined in the dreams I frequently had.
Having said that, I feel pain while I'm making to tell the truth. (laughter) This is because I'm gradually pressurized more and more thinking that I have to get it finished. Particularly a big article requires a longer time for manufacturing and so I get highest satisfaction when I see a finalized product. And a single word "What are you going to make next?" said by the person who has seen the product becomes a power for me to creat forthcoming art works.
Some artists use material of bead, spangle or Swarovsky in making art works. However I want to go with the feel of a material and I've made up my mind not to use other materials. The attracting point of felt is, particularly, color variation and softness of colors as well as hardness which can be freely adjusted. Wool alone is able to realistically express the feel of transparency, hardness and softness. Layering a white color felt on a blue color felt would express an overlaying soft white, not a neutral tint. The more pricking felt with a needle, the more eyes get closer to the feel of reality.
I particularly used gradation when making a synthetic beast (Merfolk) of Odontodactylus scyllarus. Though Odontodactylus scyllarus is a richly-colored living thing in the first place, I used overlayer of a white color felt so that I could make a wondrous product different from the one actually living. Drawing a beautiful gradation is a real thrill and profundity existing in Needle Felting .
Plainly speaking, Needle Felting is "an wool doll". However, production of attractive arts is able to increase those who get interest in the art of Needle Felting transcending a category of just an wool doll. All that I can do is just to complete art works one by one and to display them at exhibitions. I'm determined to continue making such arts that may stay in people's heart with a hope that the culture of Needle Felting will take root in the society.
The art of Needle Felting is still within the range of handicraft. My target is that the art will fly out from the range. Though my products include many fair-tale and lovely ones, I don't think I can fly out with them. I think it a mission for me to embody images I get and to dispatch globally the unique view of the world being full of reality. It may be said that the artist presenting realistic arts by felt alon should be novel all over the world. I think such uniqueness is the value of my existence.
FELT ARTIST
She was attracted by potentiality of felting art. Set foot into the world of NEEDLE FELTING and enjoys a good reputation for her own distinctive work style seeking reality. Her unique and creative works are displayed at "GENTEN" (Renowed Contemporary Art Exhibition) held in The National Art Center, Tokyo every year. She teaches an attraction of needle felting at her own work shop and in the extracurricular lesson at an Elementary School.
