At sixty, Akiko Ike began creating stitched pieces using remnants of indigo-dyed cloth and old work clothes. Giving used textiles from her environment new life, she transforms found cloth by stitching with a strong thread in a manner she calls “chiku-chiku.” “Chiku-chiku” is the onomatopoeic word Ike has coined to describe the sound her broad needle makes as it runs into and out of the cloth.
Nearly twenty years later, she has amassed a significant collection of vintage textiles laced with her own thread in her characteristic running stitch. Ike will present her studio, farm, and samples of her chiku-chiku work. Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts presents this program in conjunction with Ike's first solo exhibition in the United States.
This presentation was recorded in Japanese with a combination of English subtitles and consecutive interpretation.
