artist/ Yashiki

Japon

Born in 1983, Ken Yashiki is a Japanese artist. After living in the United States and Singapore, he now lives and works in his native Tokyo.
Following his studies in fashion, Ken Yashiki decided to create works of art using the Kimekomi technique, which involves embedding textiles in the slots of a wooden object.

The Kimekomi technique originated 300 years ago, during the Edo period in Japan. Tadashige Takahashi, a carpenter working in a shrine, carved a doll using scraps of wood from a willow box. He then inserted pieces of fabric into the grooves to create her clothes. The object took the name of the technique, the Kimekomi Doll.

In Japanese homes, it has become customary to display them during “Hinamatsuri”, the “Doll Festival”, a traditional festival dedicated to little girls held every year in Japan on 3 March. These unique dolls, which are sometimes handed down from generation to generation, represent characters from the imperial court of the Heian era and symbolise the protection of children against misfortune. He therefore creates works of art to demonstrate his values, and obtains old clothes which he uses with the Kimekomi technique. When he first started out, he used the clothes his daughter was wearing as a symbol of life and transition, “Now I can imagine her in the future”.
His works are always figurative, depicting scenes of life or portraits from his life here in Japan.