Mayuko Okada

I started to be attracted to kimonos from a young age, influenced by my grandmother, who was a shopping queen as well as a kimono lover. I majored in Japanese painting at university with a dream of kimono related art.

I got office work first after graduating however my creating passion did not disappear. Seven years later, I officially started my carrier as an artist when my painting "Spring Makeup(春化粧)" won a prize at the Tokyo Wonder Wall Competition. I took charge of the production of "46 ceiling paintings" for a Buddhist temple in Tokyo over the course of three years.

I also began to create new pieces in an original style inspired by traditional Japanese kimono craft techniques OSHI-E(押し絵) at this time. I came across many vintage kimonos that were too damaged to be worn, but too beautiful to be thrown away through my pursuit of art.

In 2010, I moved to New York with the hope to once again bring those kimonos back to life and to show to the world. I engaged in a wide range of art projects in New York including a solo exhibition of 100 KOI carp installations made from kimono silk, making costumes for stage performers, and decorating restaurants.

I moved to Bern, Switzerland in 2015. A solo exhibition at Château Gutsch was held, a presentation of a piece called “HOPE” at the Japanese Embassy in Switzerland (JICC), as well as a few other exposures in Singapore and Tokyo. My artist carrier is expanding internationally.

I enjoy seeing people taken aback by the beauty of kimonos in my art. Sometimes they are so moved that they can not resist touching it, which truly brings me joy.