Yoshiko Wada

University of Leicester Postgraduate Award - Museum Studies

Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada of Berkeley, California, is an artist, curator, and founder of Slow Fiber Studios, where she hosts events and workshops to connect global art, design, and craft communities and promote sustainable cultural heritage practices. Yoshiko has researched and written articles and books on Japanese and contemporary textile subjects, including Ikat: Introduction to resist-techniques of Japan, Kimono Inspiration: Art and Art to Wear in America, Shibori: The Japanese Art of Shaped Resist Dyeing, and Memory on Cloth: Shibori Now. Yoshiko will pursue Ph.D. research on the sustainability, aesthetics, and interpretation of Japanese Boro Textiles. She will conduct research at the University of Leicester’s School of Museum Studies, focusing on the phenomena surrounding the worn and mended clothing and practical articles from rural Japan popularly identified as 'boro' (rags). She intends to question why the perceptions of beauty and value in 'boro' have shifted in recent decades. She looks forward to visiting the UK's numerous fine museums and connecting with textile communities, and exchange academic dialogues with museum professionals in the UK and Europe.