ALEXCIOUS

Sakae Yamaguchi's grandfather was a sculptor. He instilled a great love of Art and Crafts in his granddaughter which led to her studying at Tama Art University. She took several courses such as contemporary art, ceramics and oil painting, but eventually began to realize she had a strong affinity for textile-dyeing. After graduating from Tama, Yamaguchi joined the long-established Kawashima Textile Manufacturers Ltd. (Now Kawashima Selkon Textiles Co., Ltd.). She has worked on the development of various textile products, and has been in charge of the "HANA HYAKU YO" (A Hundred Flowers) project since its inception in 2005.

Producing obi (the ornamental wide sash that complements kimono), stage curtains, regular curtains, carpets and wall covering materials, Kawashima Selkon is a textile manufacturer with a 168-year history. Establishing the fundamentals of Kawashima Selkon and contributing significantly to the growth of the industry and to innovations in textile technology in Japan, the 2nd generation proprietor, Jinbei Kawashima was an entrepreneur who relentlessly promoted his gorgeous fabric creations around the world. Yamaguchi is greatly influenced by Jinbei Kawashima's spirit. She is actively involved in product development and committed to maintaining the world-class, top quality of Kawashima Selkon's textiles while respecting the company's spirit and traditional technology.

Prizes

• 1997: Awarded a prize at the Japan Craft Exhibition
• 1999: Awarded a prize at the ITF (International Textile Competition)
• 2003: Awarded a prize at Arte & Arte (Italy)