This summer, Portland Japanese Garden is host to a glowing world of light.  

Woven Light showcases the illuminated washi sculptures of Yuri Kinoshita, a Seattle-based artist who artfully crafts floating landscapes of light through her sculptural lamps that bridge the art and design world. Guests who visit the Calvin and Mayho Tanabe Gallery will see that through carefully hand-woven and sculpted washi (Japanese handmade paper made from plant fibers), soft light and shadow inspire a magical sense of place, evoking the unique environment of the Pacific Northwest. More than artwork, Kinoshita’s works are experiences that transport the viewer into a warm world of light through both works that evoke natural forms and abstracted shapes that inspire contemplation. 

Washi has been made in Japan for centuries. Its uses range from decoration for religious rites and ceremonies, to art and design purposes including calligraphy, woodblock printing, and origami. Kinoshita’s washi is sourced from artisans in Echizen in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, a region known for its long tradition of paper-making. The texture and shape of the paper is transformed depending on the type of washi used: the rough weave of bamboo fiber contrast with the soft, fine glow of kozo, washi created using mulberry bark. Kinoshita’s light-filled sculptures are paired with bases that often are formed from richly colored walnut wood of the Pacific Northwest, crafted by master woodworker Craig Yamamoto, nephew to iconic woodworker George Nakashima.  

Born in Kyoto to a third generation kimono making family, Kinoshita’s art and design practice led her to study and practice throughout Europe and Asia, before relocating her studio to Seattle in 2008. There, she was immediately captivated by the quality of light iconic to the Pacific Northwest, where the skies alternate between rolling cloud cover and sudden sunbursts. Her exquisitely woven washi lamps seek to bring this quality of light from the skies into interior spaces, offering not just a functional source of light but a sense of warmth, safety, and tranquility.  

Born in Kyoto, Japan, Yuri Kinoshita graduated with honors from Osaka Fashion Institute, Department of Interior Design. For three generations, her family owned a traditional kimono business: this connection to the craft and beauty of textiles was an early inspiration in her artistic journey. After traveling throughout Europe and Asia, she settled in the U.S. Now based in Seattle, Kinoshita works with organic materials to create small and large scale sculptures of ‘Interwoven Lights’.  Her site-specific installations continue to explore the play between light and shadow within her medium. Her work has been exhibited in both the United States and Japan at institutions including the Seattle Japanese Garden, the Wing Luke Museum, and the Tuti/Soil Museum SHIDO on Awaji Island, among others.