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You may be surprised to learn that these gorgeous bowls are made with the fragile skeletons of real maple leaves and some Kozo paper.
And then finished with watercolor and Krylon coating.
These beautifully delicate leaf bowls were created by Kay Sekimachi, a renowned artist well-known for her intricate loom works.
She is particularly recognized for incorporating natural elements like grass, decaying leaves, shells, and even a hornet’s nest in her woven pieces.
While there is much recognition for Sekimachi’s art, less is known about her life.
She was amongst the scores of Japanese-Americans detained at the Topaz Relocation Centre in Utah during WWII, despite being born in California in 1926. After the war, she attended the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland from 1946 to 1949 where she taught herself how to weave.
In 1972, she married the late Bob Stocksdale, the “patriarch of American woodturning.” Together, they became two of the most revered artists in the history of American crafts.
To pay homage to the couple’s achievements, the Bellevue Arts Museum will be staging In The Realm of Nature from July 3 to October 18.
The exhibit will display the couple’s most celebrated works, including these exquisite leaf bowls.
You can learn all about the exhibit here.