Jewelry and Paper Art
“I am a Japanese artist. I wish to spend as much time as possible surrounded by items of beauty. I express the concept of traditional Japanese beauty through my works.” — Masami Kusakabe
I loved making beautiful things since I was a student. My bead works use Swarovski crystals. Its shininess fuels the spark of my imagination. I started making customized bead jewelry and teaching bead classes when I was in Japan. However, we moved to the U.S as my husband transferred job.
It was at the turning point in my career because I was inspired by Japanese concepts of beauty, but there are different types of inspirations here. Every day, many things inspire me! And I came to realize how beautiful traditional Japanese paper (Washi) art is when I came to the U.S.
I sometimes feel lonely and miss my hometown of Kobe, Japan, but Washi traditional paper gives me happiness and I remember my childhood in Japan.
I am involved in the Japanese community in Vancouver and teach bead classes and customize bead jewelry. Since joining the Broadway Gallery, I also enjoy creating jewelry, cards and Japanese frames in Longview.
