Jean Akita
Wearable Art
Jeanne Akita, Ice Lava Breath Jacket. Superfine merino wool, Tussah silk. ©2021 Illusions Lab. Courtesy of the artist.
Though felt is one of the world’s oldest textiles (dating to the 6th century BC), Jeanne Akita’s award-winning collections prove its contemporary appeal.
Akita considers felting a “great eco-recipe…a manual process that requires just hand agitation, a small amount of water, and natural soap.” She sources natural fibers from a wide range of animals (sheep, goats, camels, alpacas, paco-vicunas, silkworms) and plants (cotton balls, sisal leaves, coconut husks, stalks of jute, hemp, flax, and ramie, among others). Recycled silk saris may find their way into her collection too.
For a final touch, she brush paints the felt – or uses shibori dyeing – to achieve striking works of art.
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All materials in this exhibition are copyrighted. ©Open Space Institute, Inc./Honoring the Future 2021. Please respect this copyright and that of the artists who generously contributed images to this exhibition.