Kichiemon, Okamura
Japanese, 1916–2002
American, Japanese descent, active in Hawaii, born 1947
Venetian, born between 1431 and 1436–1516
BiographyOkamura Kichiemon was a student of the founder of the Japanese Folk Art (Mingei) Movement, Yanagi Muneyoshi (1889-1961), and also studied with the pioneering textile craftsman and designer Serizawa Keisuke (1895-1984). Active within the Mingei Movement Okamura worked as a fabric craftsman, dyer and printmaker and became most famous for conducting extensive research about dyeing techniques and authoring books on Japanese and international folk crafts, ceramics and textiles.