Artist: Kimiko Koyanagi
Medium: Raw silk hair with White Obie
Dimensions: 6'' x 16.5'' x 3''

Bidding on this artwork will take place at the Live Auction event, Friday, April 10. Tickets available at the link at dvsa.ca. Absentee bids can also be placed in advance – request a form at the school office or email bid@dvsa.ca.

Biography
Born in Japan during the dark days of the Second World War, Kimiko Koyanagi is the third generation of the famous Muraoka family of Tokyo to make dolls. The tradition was taught within the family which makes her work unique but also rare. In Japan, doll-making is quickly becoming a lost art. The skills and knowledge of technique are endangered. At 92, Koyanagi is still creating her dolls, though more slowly, and when she is gone the tradition will likely die with her. Koyanagi's dolls are reflections of her spirit.

Kimiko Koyanagi’s technique is a lengthy painstaking procedure that is uniquely Japanese. She starts each piece by molding a rough unfinished form from a mixture of paste, rice paper, and finely ground Paulownia wood shavings. After the work has dried and hardened, Kimiko delicately carves and sands the doll to produce its final form. Several layers of white pigment made from seashells are then applied as a surface finish. This surface is again sanded to achieve a refined smoothness. At the end of the two-month process, the doll is finally painted with a blend of seashell powder and watercolour. As a finishing touch, the artist is very selective in adding delicate details which make each work both unique and individual in expression.

Kimiko Koyanagi has produced a large and distinguished body of work which has been widely exhibited and collected in Canada, Japan, the United States, and Mexico, both in group and individual exhibitions.