Misako Nakahira
, Ribbon#GW, 2026
26.1×18.7×0.8cm, wool, cotton,rayon,
£ 500
About the Ribbon series
The Ribbon series is based on the theme of overlapping, inspired by the concept of illusion in painting. The works express moments in which stripes overlap to create visual fluctuation, transparency, and spatial ambiguity – moments where front and back become indistinguishable – through the accidental layering of striped ribbons. Although parts of the patterns appear visually layered, there are in fact no physical layers within the structure itself. The works are constructed using a technique known as moku-ito that is unique to tapestry weaving.
Through this contradiction between visual perception and physical structure, Nakahira questions what human perception seeks between reality and illusion. Through weaving, she continues to explore the boundaries between the two.
Born in Kochi, Japan / Based in Kyoto, Japan
2015 Graduated from the Textile Course, Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Kyoto University of Art and Design (currently Kyoto University of the Arts).
2017 Completed MFA, Graduate School of Art, Kyoto University of Art and Design (currently Kyoto University of the Arts).
Misako Nakahira is a Kyoto-based textile artist whose practice focuses on the structure of tapestry and visual perception. Through weaving, she explores themes of overlap, illusion, and the boundaries of human perception. Her work has been shown in exhibitions internationally, including in Australia, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. In 2023, she spent a year in Melbourne, Australia, as an overseas fellow of the Pola Art Foundation.
