Fumiyo Hachisuka: Class of 2018
Name: Fumiyo Hachisuka
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Tell us a bit about yourself. What are some of your interests and hobbies?
I graduated from the Seikei University (the department of English language and literature). (Prime Minister Shinzo Abe graduated too--the different department, though.) My major was Shakespeare.
I learned rug hooking in Canada for 4 years. I came back to Japan in 1983 and moved to my mother town Tokyo in 1985. Then I showed my rugs in the small lobby of the bank near my living place. And some asked me to teach rug hooking, so I started teaching it in Tokyo in 1985.
I tried to hold the exhibition once in a year. But it was not possible for the first several years. And there was a big earthquake in 2011 when I could not use the gallery.
"Never give up," I thought many times.
In 2017, I could hold the 27th exhibiiton. And in 2018 I am going to hold the 28th Rug Hooking Exhibition at Gallery K in Kichijoji Diichi Hotel from October 25 to 30. Rug hooking is my life's work.
I learned Sumi Painting and Japanese Caligraphy to brush up my art sense. Now I am teaching how to paint, too.
It is good to be able to use the sketch as the pattern.
How did you get introduced to rug hooking?
I had lived in Toronto, Canada, from 1976 to 1983. My friend found a rug hooking class, and we took lessons from Ms. Fanie Sinclair .
What was your first project?
The flower bell pull that is made 1979.
Is there one rug that stands out as being particularly memorable?
Bamboo. I visited the Hokokuji Temple called "bamboo temple" in Kamakura for the first time after I came back from Canada. The bamboo scenery is amazing, and I really wanted to make the bamboo rug. I dyed many kinds of green and hooked it on the freehand-drawn pattern.
Is there a particular style of rugs that you're most interested in hooking?
I try any kind of style, but I like to hook using #3 Dorr's wool cloth, dyeing by myself on the rug warp with the old clothes and sweaters and so on.
What's your favorite part about hooking a rug?
I can make as I like. It is a great art. I can use the old clothes and anything. I only need the hook and the round hoop to make any size rug.
What's a piece of advice you'd give to a new rug hooker?
At first, you should hook evenly using the #3 strips on the rug warp or linen. Feel free to make an original pattern, using your colors. Keep on going at least for ten years.
What do you love most about Celebration?
It is a wonderful idea to encourage the rug hookers to make their own rugs and show them.
Table of Contents
Bamboo, Celebration II
Fumiyo considers rug hooking's connection to recycling to be one of its attractions. She used that aspect to introduce the craft to others who... Read more.
Market at Mahone Bay, Celebration X
It was a beautiful, clear fall day in 1997 at the Mahone Bay Market in Nova Scotia. Fumiyo ("who-me-yo") Hachisuka, in the area to attend the second conference of The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers, was enthralled by the brilliant orange... Read more.
Antique Store in Plymouth, Celebration XIII
On the morning Fumiyo was to take a sightseeing trip to Boston, she woke up early, walked into town, and discovered the charming antique store now depicted in her rug. The store was not open, but its exterior enchanted this visitor from Japan. "I looked at..." Read more.
Covered Bridge in West Montrose, Celebration XVI
It was while attending a conference for The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers (TIGHR) in Toronto several years ago that Fumiyo Hachisuka and her rug hooking students ventured out in search of a landmark. The bit of history they were looking for... Read more.
Grandma's, Celebration XX
Fumiyo Hachisuka finds that hooked rugs based on her travels around the world are an excellent way to commemorate trips. The beautiful countryside and half-timbered homes of Stratford-upon-Avon, England, piqued her imagination, so she decided to... Read more.
Mont St-Michel, Celebration XXV
This rug was an honorable mention in Celebration XXV. Read more.
Chateau de Chenonceau, Celebration 26
In 2011, I visited France for the first time. I saw many beautiful things there. I went on an eight-day tour, and we visited Paris, Loire, Mont Saint-Michel, and other famous and picturesque places. I liked France very much.
I have been painting pictures, using... Read more.
Friendship, Celebration 27
In 2014, I visited Milton, Australia, to attend a spinning workshop held by Miriam Miller. It was my first time spinning, and my friend and teacher Jacqui Thomson was kind and eager to teach me. It took me a few days... Read more.
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