all photos courtesy ARKO
Another discovery from last month’s DesignArt Tokyo was ARKO, a Tokyo-based, self-described ‘straw artist’ who has been applying her creative approach to traditional craft since 2002.
ARKO’s work on display last month at the World Kita-Aoyama Bldg in Tokyo
ARKO works specifically with rice straw, a byproduct of rice farming. And because rice is such an important staple in Japan, there is understandably a lot of leftover rice straw. Up until about 100 years ago the abundant material had been used to make shoes, straw coats, blankets, food wrappers, carrier bags and other accessories. But its usage has dropped precipitously and these days its primarily employed by Shinto shrines to create shimenawa, a sacred rope that divides the spiritual from the mortal worlds.
ARKO hand-sews rice straw, creating wall-mounted artworks with sculptural patterns and bringing the ancient material back into our lives. You can keep up with her work on Instagram.
