Hanna Yokozawa Farquharson, Textile Artist

About this Artist's Talk 

The video of the artist's talk may be viewed below. These are notes related to the video. This is not intended to be a precise transcript, but these notes contain the relevant information.

At the bottom of each answer is a reference to the works associated with the topic of the Q&A. These works can be seen, in order, in the photo gallery above. 

We invite you to meet Hanna and hear her talk about her work in the video below.

When did you start making textile art? 

After we moved to Canada in 2011, I saw lots of quilts in family houses and at the care home where I work. 

I saw that these quilts make people comfortable, that they have something special in them that evokes healing and safety. 

In 2015 I found one beautiful modern quilt. I was so moved that I started quilting in 2016 and that led me to textile art. 

View in gallery above:

Long Horned Beetle, 2017

No Borders – Geese, 2017

What is your inspiration? 

I was born and grew up in Japan. In Japanese culture Wabi-Sabi inspires me so much. Wabi-Sabi is the beauty in imperfection. And also my work is a reflection of another Japanese aesthetic quality called Mono - no - Aware ( mo-noh noh ah-wah-reh). It is a deep need for holistic healing and connection at the heart of all existence, it is the reality of life, knowing that none of it can last. 

I also love things that I can feel a history of, like fossils, stones, trees, plants. 

View in gallery above: 

Eclipse, 2020

Indigo Waves, 2020

Tree Bark, 2018

Where did you learn your techniques? 

In Japan, we learn simple hand stitching, sashiko stitching, applique, how to use sewing machines from grade 6. The grade 9 project for the girls was making pajamas.I use all of these simple techniques for my art. 

Now we can find almost anything on the internet, but I still like to read and find new things in magazines and books. I love the library system in Saskatchewan, we can borrow books from all libraries in Saskatchewan and I have found many books that help me in my art. 

View in gallery above: 

Moss in Progress 

Moss in Progress 1

Moss in Progress 2

How does living in Saskatchewan affect your art making? 

The prairie landscapes inspire me greatly. I find the prairie landscape has a simplicity, purity, depth to them and living in a small rural town gives me a warm feeling of belonging. 

Long cold winters force us to stay home more and that is a great chance to focus and reflect about ourselves deeply. That is the same process to make art. 

I reflect and listen to my heart about how I want to express myself, what I want to do, what I want to express. 

View in gallery above:

Prairie Grasslands, 2019

Hoar Frost, 2019

Snow Drift, 2018

Tell us about your process of making a textile work from inspiration to completion.

I have been making a piece I call Full Moon. The inspiration comes from the beautiful moons we are able to see on the prairies. I started to research the Moon and get knowledge about the moon to connect it to my image. Then I decided how large the piece should be and what materials and techniques I would like to use for it. Sometimes it is a hit and miss process, I have an idea and I try it. 

I am not always happy with my work. I had been making the moon when I felt something was wrong. I put it aside for 2 months and thought I would not finish the piece. When I don’t feel right to continue to make something, I quit it freely. I believe if I don’t make art that I am satisfied with from the bottom of my heart, viewers can’t connect to it and therefore I should quit the piece. 

After two months I looked at the piece again and thought about what was missing, I picked up the piece and began changing it to become a piece that I am happy with. To completion… I don’t know when I can finish it. 

View the video Full Moon: In Progress below

Your quilts have travelled to many places in the last few years. Where have you exhibited your quilts?

In Autumn 2017, I started to make five quilts for the 2018 QuiltCon in Pasadena, California, USA. QuiltCon is one of the biggest modern quilt competitions in the world. I felt foolish to try that as a beginner but I wanted to break my comfort zone and see how the art world would judge my stuff. Surprisingly, three of my five quilts were selected to be juried in QuiltCon. 

That experience gave me the courage to try more. I sent quilts to Quilt National Canada in Vancouver ,BC and one was juried , and also sent some to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England, where I received a Judges Choice award and one was short listed in the Fine Art Quilt Master Category. The Festival of Quilts is the largest quilt festival in Europe.

In 2019, my works were exhibited at QuiltCon in Nashville, Tennessee, Birmingham England, Ottawa and Yorkton. 

My works of art took part in a group show Autumn Light at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery in 2019. One of my works, Zen Garden from this show was collected by the SK Arts permanent collection. 

View in gallery above:

Family Sanctuary, 2017

Round Window, 2017

Sparkling Diamond, 2017

Tree Bark, 2018

Breathing, 2018

Circles, 2018

Zen Garden, 2018

You have started doing some new textile works that are not quilts.  Please tell us about these new creations.

I love seashells. I wanted to make something that would reflect the shapes of them.  I wanted to find a way to express the 3D shape of the shell instead of something flat. I did some research and found French women made a 3D textile sculpture. They are very close to what I have imagined in my head. I don’t put limitations on myself but explore freely. 

The sea shells are made of a stiff muslin cotton. I coil and shape the shells pinning in place with dressmakers pins. Wool batting is stuffed inside to help hold the shape.

View in gallery above:

Sea Shells, 2020

Tuesday Textile Shells, 2020

Sound of the Ocean, 2020

How does your family life influence our work? Are your children interested in making art? 

My family in Canada are all very supportive. My father in-law helps to put words to much of my art, my mother in-law is a big fan and very supportive. She is a big cheer leader. 

Family at home are very supportive too. They allow me to take the needed time to pursue my art and are very patient with me when I am “in the zone.” 

My two younger children both look like they have a little bit of the artistic bug while our two older children make their art on the baseball diamonds. Beautiful to see all blooming.

View in gallery above:

Kayla’s Quilt, Family, 2018

Dougal’s Quilt, Technology and Me, 2018