Ai Kijima is a Tokyo-born artist currently living in Brooklyn. Her distinctive works are chaotic collages: amalgamations of found material painstakingly stitched into evocative cross-cultural patchworks. Through quilting, she fuses traditional techniques with pop culture iconography to create work that is both nostalgic, and playfully fresh.
Kijima received both her BFA and MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has shown in numerous national, and international exhibitions. Her most recent solo exhibition was Beyond Beyond at ASU Art Museum in 2018.
For more information, please see: www.aikijima.com and on Instagram @aikijima.
Ai Kijima, RWSO, 2012. Fused and machine quilted. 65” x 91”. Image courtesy of the artist.
First, and most importantly, how are you doing? How are you navigating the highs and lows?
I am well. I’m an early bird. I wake up between 3:30 - 4 am every morning. I feed my cat breakfast and make a protein drink for myself. I meditate, write in my journal, and practice yoga. At sunrise I go for a walk for one hour in my neighborhood which is in a longtime industrial, maritime part of Brooklyn. The city is still quiet and the air is fresh. In the early morning, everything around me, the trees, flowers, birds and the East River with its magnificent Manhattan skyscrapers, seem most vivid and alive and I feel connected to them. I think this regular daily routine really helps me stay calm and sane.
Ai Kijima, Burn It Up, 2006. Fused and machine quilted. 104” x 91”. Photo credit: David Ettinger.
It's my experience that most artists engage with some level of self-isolation in their day to day art practice. Has this been your experience? And if so, have you found these innate rhythms to be helpful during this larger, world-wide experience of isolation?
Yes. I have long been accustomed to the vast amount of solitary time my art practice requires. It is beneficial to already have experience in how to live and work in isolation. My natural temperament is to be somewhat reclusive, rarely interacting and socializing with people. I work at home. So this “new normal” hasn’t changed my daily life that much. I do miss the art museums, galleries, performing arts like opera and ballet, my gym, and yoga studios here in NYC, and I miss traveling.
Ai Kijima, Night Is Young, 2006. Fused and machine quilted. 75” x 136”. Photo credit: David Ettinger.
It would be great if you could briefly talk us through your practice. Understanding it is integral to appreciating the multivalence of your work.
I am a Japanese-born textile artist living in Brooklyn, NY. Since first arriving in the United States at 18 as a high school exchange student living in Wisconsin, I've always collected discarded bed sheets, sleeping bags, pillowcases, movie banners, shower curtains, and other everyday domestic textiles. All feature bright, printed characters and patterns and are typically found at thrift stores, flea markets, and garage sales. I select and carefully cut out the desired images and construct large-scale, painstakingly quilted collages. Each artwork is assembled from hundreds of overlapping images showing an array of printed faces, figures, animals, machines, patterns and natural landscapes in a mash-up of memories and fantasy.
Ai Kijima’s studio, 2020. Image courtesy of the artist.
Ai Kijima’s studio, 2020. Image courtesy of the artist.
Face masks donated to Unique People Services in NYC, 2020. Image courtesy of the artist.
Has any of your imagery shifted in a reflection to what's currently happening? And why, or why not
I haven’t made new work since COVID-19 really hit NYC. From January 1 till mid-March, I experienced an urgent drive of creative energy. In that brief time I was able to produce 18 new quilt tops literally working nonstop every day. In fact it was probably the most productive period in my life as an artist! Looking back, it is especially precious to me to have had this productive flourishing of intense art-making at the beginning of 2020, just before the pandemic hit.
Facemask making was my immediate response to the pandemic. In mid-March, I started making facemasks for myself and my neighbors due to the shortage of PPE at that time. My next door neighbors are frontline workers, two nurses. In March their hospitals were local COVID-19 hot spots in Bushwick and Flushing, Queens. I dedicated myself to making masks which I donated to the medical teams at their hospitals. Soon friends and acquaintances began asking me to make masks for them. Then their friends and family started to order masks too. I adapted to these new circumstances and dedicated my skills, time, and energy, to mask making. I made hundreds of masks. This was draining physically but I believe keeping busy in this productive way was a vital focus for me. Sewing with urgency and working with beautiful textiles in the very dark, depressing April and May of 2020 in NYC helped me mentally. It gave me purpose and some happiness to know my small creations went to many individuals and contributed to reducing the spread of the virus. I am also thankful to have learned there are so many peopleout there committed to supporting artists in the midst of this crisis.
At this time I continue to observe and gather information from many sources. I read the news daily. Every day on my morning walk, I see the graffities, murals, flyers, and posters that constantly pop-up in the neighborhood. I am very aware of my environment and sensitive to even micro changes. I am also an artist who collects imagery from the evolving mass consciousness. While this imagery can cause feelings of sadness and distress, it can be inspiring and life affirming to witness communities and street artists responding to massive social, political, and cultural changes.
Installation view from ”Beyond, Beyond” at ASU Art Museum, 2018. Photo credit: ASU Art Museum.
Installation view from ”Beyond, Beyond” at ASU Art Museum, 2018. Photo credit: ASU Art Museum.
Are you thinking differently? Coping differently? Inspired differently?
I am not sure yet if I am thinking differently. This is a question I will probably be able to answer as more time passes. For now I am just trying to figure out how to ride this enormous tide as smoothly as possible. Things happening around us now, at the local, national and global levels, seem too uncertain to know what to expect even in the short term. I am learning how to adjust my expectations and adapt to the constant flow of developments. I hope there will be a soft landing for humanity, wherever we are heading.
Ai Kijima, Ingress #1, 2016. Hand appliqued. 61” x 45”. Image courtesy of the artist.
What is bringing you solace, or even joy, in this moment?
I am grateful that I still have a place to live and work with my beautiful ginger kitty Tamago in my favorite city, New York.
Ai Kijima’s studio with Tamago, 2020. Image courtesy of the artist.
Ai Kijima’s studio with Tamago, 2020. Image courtesy of the artist.
What research or writing are you doing that you find compelling?
I regularly write in a journal throughout the day whenever I choose to. My journaling is more about recording daily thoughts and emotions. For me, capturing these impressions is a process of acceptance and release, then a letting go of judgment. I am trying to learn self-forgiveness. In these uncertain times I think it’s important to be kind to myself.
Ai Kijima’s studio, 2020. Image courtesy of the artist.
Are you reading anything?
I tried to read several books this summer but I had difficulty settling down. My mind has been primarily occupied with absorbing current events and what’s happening around the world. Often my eyes are just too tired after constantly reading the news. I did manage to listen to some audiobooks while I was sewing. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, Mastery by Robert Greene, and 1984 by George Orwell. Recently I’ve been watching and listening to many YouTube videos for more immediate reactions/responses from people I am interested in since things are moving so rapidly.
Self-portrait, 2020. Image courtesy of the artist.