About the artist:
Born in 1956 in Tokyo, Kawanabe completed her Master’s degree in Chokin(Japanese traditional decorative metal work technique) at the National University of Fine Arts, Tokyo. In 1982-83, Kawanabe completed a jewellery apprenticeship at Naguchi Jewellery Company, Tokyo.
This was followed in 1984 by the award of an Australian-Japan Foundation travel grant, which led to her taking up the position of Visiting Fellow, Jewellery and Object Design Department, Sydney College of Arts. She became a permanent Australian resident in 1987. Since then, she has undertaken overseas residencies in New York, Germany and India.
Her works are held in many Australian and international collections including the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.
About the work:
Yuri Kawanabe’s jewellery recalls her childhood memories of Japan, watching local men and women skilfully making ceremonial decorations with commonplace materials like bamboo, straw and paper.
The artist describes this on her web site: ‘These simple craft techniques and methods of creation were developed within local communities to decorate ceremonial festive sites. These crafts could effectively turn an ordinary village place into a wondrous space where people feel closer to their gods’.
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