Penny Cheuk-Low

Artist Statement

I am a textile artist whose works reflect my experiences in Japan, past and present. This collection of works represents the seasonality and foods of Japanese culture, combined with my daily life in the Pacific Northwest.

I studied traditional fabric dyeing and design in Kyoto, Japan, where I developed a love for traditional fabrics and the symbolism of their patterns. Since then, I have been collecting Japanese vintage fabrics and folk objects. After I retired from a career in education, I wanted to upcycle these fabrics into artworks that are fun and whimsical.

I am also inspired by the applique artworks of the late Japanese artist Miyawaki Ayako. I admire her attention to detail for the items in her everyday life and her use of secondhand materials and patterns. I similarly enjoy taking simple everyday things as the starting point of my creative process, which often starts with a trip to local Asian markets or a walk in nature where a vegetable, fish, or flower might capture my attention. Appreciating their details and experiencing them with my five senses allows me to select the right fabric to represent an item’s texture, pattern, and color. Then the process of cutting up, manipulating, replacing and reorganizing the fabric in my design is the essence of my creative applique technique.