Textile art has long crossed out the fine line between art and craft. Embroidery, knitting, tapestry, weaving, and knitting have spread beyond the borders of craft with various contemporary artists using different types of textile to discover and expand the possibilities of this versatile medium. Japanese artist Mariko Kusumoto, for example, captures the ethereal charm of marine life with her fabric sculptures.
This Boston-based artist molds intricate corals and sea creatures from soft fibers like polyester, nylon, and cotton. She uses fine metal supports to keep each piece in shape, replicating the atmospheric softness and qualities of ocean corals. Featuring delicate and translucent fabrics, her fabric sculptures look so realistic and dainty to the touch to render the fragility of the subject matter. Each piece is meticulously crafted with intricate textures such as exquisite webbing and rhythmic fins, making them appear like gracefully floating on the ocean floor.
Delicate Fabric Sculptures Capture The Ethereal Beauty Of Ocean Corals
View this post on Instagram
Kusumoto clusters the individual pieces into larger works to capture the diverse marine ecosystems bursting with color and texture. When put together, each arrangement of multiple fabric sculptures seem to celebrate the diversity of nature’s ecosystem. It’s as if you’re watching the colorful ocean corals gently swaying together in unison under clear water.
“My work reflects various, observable phenomena that stimulate my mind and senses,” Kusumoto says. “I ‘reorganize’ them into a new presentation that can be described as surreal, amusing, graceful, or unexpected.”
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
You can have the opportunity to see Kusumoto’s fabric sculptures in person as she prepares for a solo exhibition at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Garden in Delray Beach, Florida on November 2022. Also don’t forget to follow the artist on Instagram to keep updated with her latest textile art projects.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Source: Instagram