Seiko Kinoshita was born in Japan in 1971. Her practice is deeply influenced by both her Japanese heritage and her experiences in the UK. She often explores themes related to nature, science, weather, and cultural identity, through sculpture, large-scale installation and film, frequently employing traditional Japanese textile and paper-folding techniques. Her work is site-specific, often in public spaces, where she establishes a connection with the location's heritage, its physical attributes, and its social environment.
Artist Seiko Kinoshita was born in Japan in 1971, where she completed her four-year education in formative art [DATES AND NAME OF THE INSTITUTION], specialising in textiles for her final project. She moved to the UK in 1999 to pursue her MA and now lives in Sheffield, Yorkshire, where she works at Yorkshire Art Space as part of the Yorkshire Sculpture International (YSI) network.
Kinoshita's practice is deeply influenced by both her Japanese heritage and her experiences in the UK. She often explores themes related to nature, science, weather, and cultural identity. Her artworks include sculpture, large-scale installation, and film, frequently employing traditional Japanese textile and paper-folding techniques. Her work is site-specific, often in public spaces, where she establishes a connection with the location's heritage, its physical attributes, and its social environment. Kinoshita is fascinated by the relevance of 'slow' hand-woven and hand-dyed craft methods in today's fast-paced society and their enduring significance in contemporary art. Her 2010 installation
Kinoshita has engaged in multidisciplinary partnerships, notably with Dr. Nate Adams, a scientist from the University of Sheffield. Their first project, GFP Origami, was created for Krebs Festival in 2015. Kinoshita’s giant origami focused on the theme of protein folding, specifically the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from jellyfish. Created through the meticulous assembly of numerous elements, the work reflected the protein's intricate structure and symbolised the iterative process of scientific research. Kinoshita's collaboration with Adams continued with the creative interpretation of his research into chlorophyll biosynthesis, which explored the unseen nanoscale world of nature. The resulting touring exhibition, Art & Science: Changing Perceptions (2018–2020), supported by Arts Council England and the University of Sheffield, presented educational activities and two large installations, including METABOLON. The artwork combined 6000 pieces of meticulously folded paper, hand-welded 3D protein structures, and programmed LED lights to create an immersive experience. Kinoshita's work mirrored the repetitive and imaginative nature of scientific research, transforming intricate scientific data into a tangible and exploratory art form.
In 2020, Kinoshita undertook a two-part commission in Belper, Derbyshire, within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Commissioned by Beam for the Great Place Scheme, her work highlighted the lesser-known aspects of the World Heritage Site, engaging visitors and local communities. Kinoshita's first concept, Threading Through Time, was a site-specific installation in Strutt’s North Mill's historic basement. It featured over 300 unused cotton bobbins and coloured cotton threads, inspired by the River Derwent, arranged with meticulous attention to tension and order. Additionally, a soundscape incorporated sounds from various textile mills, including the Tomioka Silk Mill in Japan and John Smedley Ltd, in the UK, blended with voices of mill workers. The second part, Threading through Communities involved a community event in which Kinoshita designed lanterns inspired by cotton bobbins, but made in the Japanese tradition, with cotton thread, paper, and natural materials. Collaborating with 500 local community members, the lanterns were displayed in St Peter’s Church, Belper, accompanied by poetry and theatre performances. In 2021, funded by the Freelands Artist Programme and Arts Council DYCP, Kinoshita ventured into film, creating a piece inspired by her Belper installation, drawing parallels between the Belper mill and those in Japan and the UK, exploring their shared heritage. in 2024 this film was shown at the London offices of law firm, Watson Farley & Williams.
As part of Material Voice, a Sheffield-based women artists' collective, Kinoshita participated in their first group exhibition What is the Matter? Materials, Commodities, Narratives at Kelham Island Museum in 2019. The exhibition reinterpreted and gave new meaning to historical objects displayed at the Museum, creating a dialogue between contemporary art and industrial heritage. Kinoshita's contribution included small paper sculptures inspired by a large industrial lathe found within the collection. Her work amplified and transformed the features of machinery into bold new forms, highlighting the elegance and precision inherent in industrial tools. Other group exhibitions include Soft Loop, Freelands Artists programme, Site Gallery, Sheffield (2022); Spreading The Word Freelands Foundation, London; Botanical: a Contemporary Approach to Natural Dyeing, Hallows Church, Kirkburton (both 2023). In the UK public domain, examples of Kinoshita's woven slats, commissioned for The Children's Hospital, Sheffield in 2009, are held in Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, while her installation Blue Bird, inspired by Maurice Maeterlinck’s 1908 play, is in the Central Library/Graves Art Gallery, Sheffield.
Consult items in the Ben Uri archive related to [Seiko Kinoshita]
Publications related to [Seiko Kinoshita] in the Ben Uri Library