Kay Sekimachi, Ikat Box, 1996, linen and acylic paint, 10 x 5 1⁄2 x 5 1⁄2 in. (25.4 x 14.0 x 14.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Renwick Acquisitions Fund, 2003.25
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Ikat Box
- Artist
- Date
- 1996
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 10 x 5 1⁄2 x 5 1⁄2 in. (25.4 x 14.0 x 14.0 cm)
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase through the Renwick Acquisitions Fund
- Mediums Description
- linen and acylic paint
- Classifications
- Object Number
- 2003.25
Artwork Description
Kay Sekimachi started making small woven boxes in the late 1970s for an exhibition of miniature textiles in England. She first makes a paper model of each box to see how the folds work and if the shape can stand on its own. In Ikat Box and Hako #5 (see 1998.122.20), she created cubes from natural linen and added detail with black thread and paint. The precise creases and rigid structure evoke origami, the art of folding paper into different shapes, which Sekimachi "just grew up knowing" in her Japanese American home. These elegant boxes also recall Japanese architecture, which focuses on creating peaceful tiny spaces within hectic city environments, and may symbolize Sekimachi's desire for a private space of her own.