Upon her arrival in the United States, Tamiko Kawata began to look for something that would help her shorten the “all-too-long American clothing” she found in our stores. When she discovered the safety pin she began to play with the small functional object as an art material. After some experimentation the artist discovered ways to construct sculptures using only the pins – interlocking them in a way that is similar to weaving.
Her work ranges from small scale jewelry to large scale installations that appear to be some type of metal wire. It is only upon closer inspection that the viewer realizes how brilliantly Kawata has used an everday item to craft geometric wonders.
Safety pins function variously as thread, yarn, clay or truss in my work process.
Tamiko Kawata at browngrotta arts
Tamiko Kawata at dmcontemporary
These are amazing — but they make my thumb tips hurt in sympathy!