profile of Yoshimi Kihara

	Yoshimi Kihara


	address:	18 Woodriffe Rd, London E11 1AH
	date of birth:	1952, Hyogo prefecture
	education & training	1971-73 Kyoto Prefecture University, Junior college, Textile and Clothing 1973-76 Kazuko Ichida Knitting School, Kyoto 1976 Kawashima Textile School, Kyoto
	exhibitions:	1980 Tomlinson & Tomlinson, London (solo exhibition) 1981 Craftwork Gallery, London (solo exhibition) 1982 'Makers '83', British Crafts Centre, London 1983 'Knitwear Review', British Crafts Centre, London and touring 1983 'Knitting Two Together', Industrial Museum, Bradford 1986 'Masquerade', Osaka and Tokyo, Japan 1989 'Knitting', Rufford Crafts Centre 1989 'Colour ways' at Hove Museum, Brighton, Susex 1990 'Silk', Gainsborough House 1990 'Fushiginoiroito' (solo exhibition): Gallery Muu in Kyoto Gallery Cepo in Tokyo Tokyo Textile Institute in Tokyo 1991 'Fushiginoiroito' (solo exhibition) Gallery Muu in Kyoto Gallery Senbikiya in Tokyo 1992 'Two Knit Creators' : Susie Freeman & Yoshimi Kihara : Gallery Yukobo at Takashimaya department store, Tokyo, Japan 1992 'Lancaster Street W11- Four Knit Creators' Gallery Genius' at the Daimaru department store, Kobe. (coordinated by 'Gallery Muu', Kyoto)
	permanent collections:	1983 Bradford Industrial Museum 1987 Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester 1992 Kawashima Textile School, Kyoto, Japan
	sales outlets:	1978-92 through exhibitions, selected shops and department stores in London and the USA, Canada, and Japan: (Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Henry Bendle, Harvey Nichols, etc) Chelsea Craft Fair.
	membership of professional organisations:	1981-96 Crafts Council Index Member
	additional work experience:	1984- Freelance writer for a variety of Japanese Knitting and Textile Magazines: Nihon Vogue Co. Ltd Sensyoku to Seikatu Co. Ltd Jim Co. Ltd Tokyo Textile Institute, etc. 1987- Freelance Knitwear Designer, Hamanaka Co, Ltd, Japan 1992 Knitwear Design and Knitting Kits, Puppy Co, Ltd, Japan 1986-94 Freelance coordinator and designer of 'Hokkaido Sweaters' for a community program run by Shibetu council, Hokkaido ,Japan 1996 Translation into Japanese: 'Patchwork Fork Art' by Janet Bolton, published under license by Nihon Vogue Co. Ltd in Japan
	publications:	Articles that introduced of my work: 1980 - Articles in numerous Japanese magazines and newspapers Crafts magazines and knitting books in the UK 'Threads' magazine in the USA Articles written by me: 1983 - 'Senshoku Alpha' - Sensyoku to Seikatu Co. Ltd, Kyoto 'Creators I & II' - Nihon Vogue Co. Ltd 'Arts & Crafts'- Tokyo Textile Institute, and others in Japan.
	other activities:	Coordinated and liased with the organisers of various exhibitions in Japan that introduced the work of British Knitters: 'Masquerade' ,1986 'Two Knit creators' ,1992 'Lancaster Street W11' 1996 'Fushiginoiroito' at 'The Knitting & Stitching Show', 2001
	workshops & teaching:	1978- Short course workshops and lectures (mainly in Japan) Kawashima Textile School in Kyoto Hamanaka Co, Ltd others in Japan. QuaryBank Mills, Styal, Cheshire 1990-1999 'Fushiginoiroito' Workshop & Exhibitions & 2001 ['Fushiginoiroito' is my own on-going workshop for knitting and related activities.] 2000 'Garyu Amimono' - new workshop series at Kawashima Textile School, Kyoto. 2004, ‘Nordic Knitting Symposium’ in Denmark 2004, Distance Learning Workshop through email and electronic media.
	profile	I am a maker of one-off knitting creations in addition to doing freelance work as a knitwear designer and running annual knitting workshops in Japan. The one-off pieces are mainly hand knitted clothes, made using my own hand dyed yarns. In recent years, as a freelance knitwear designer for a Japanese yarn company, 'Hamanaka', I have been producing a much wider range of designs, exploring many styles and using many different yarns. They have given me extensive creative freedom, which has enabled me to experiment and develop my own knitting techniques. I have also worked as freelance writer about British textiles and knitting for Japanese and American craft magazines.