Emi Ito
Bath, Maine
Weaver Emi Ito moved to the United States from Japan 12 years ago and began freestyle Japanese weaving known as Saori after her arrival. The Saori aesthetic encourages weavers to improvise designs and materials, rather than weave a decided pattern. Emi uses both colorful yarns and earthy hand-dyed fibers in her work and considers the process of weaving to be as much a part of the art as the finished textile. Saori is a Zen concept meaning “each thing has its own unique quality.”