Bidspirit auction | Fuyuko Matsubara ”Crystal in the

Fuyuko Matsubara ”Crystal in the Air I” Weaving - Fuyuko Matsubara (Japanese, 20th/21st century). Large textile weaving tapestry titled ”The Crystal in the Air I, ” 1988. This textile was on display when the Wells' home was featured in ”Ocean Reef.” Provenance: Textile Art International, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1992; Collection of Ellen Wells, Minnesota. Lot Essay: Fuyuko was born and raised in Sapporo, in northern Japan. She moved to Tokyo for the purpose of studying at Musashino Art University, where she received a BA in Industrial and Craft Design, and an MA in Product Design. After working as an interior designer and a professional artist, she moved to the United States in order to study at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan where she received a MFA in Fiber Art in 1984. Fuyuko’s main medium is pictorial weaving which involves complex methods of dyeing and re-weaving. She has received Individual Artist Grants from New York Foundation for the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Hand Weavers Guild of America Award, and the First Prize in “Fiberart International.” Additionally, she served at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a Senior Restorer and taught fiber and textile art courses in numerous institutions. This work, featured in an article written by Bhakti Ziek, symbolizes two worlds: the inner world of light and safety is depicted in pastel tones surrounded by a material world saturated with earthly blacks and browns. The poem that surrounds the inner world is one on the circle of existence, the intertwining of time and seasons, and an Escher-like evolution of form. A crystal grows from the center of the inner world, leading to the title of the work. Height: 58 in x width: 88 in x depth: 1 1/4 in. Condition: The colors are bold and bright. There are no tears, losses, or signs of restoration. The work is not framed.