Terumi Saito

Interweaving fiber and clay, my work reimagines backstrap weaving, one of the earliest weaving techniques with a rich history in Asia and Central and South America. In Japan, backstrap weaving dates to the Yayoi period (c. 300 BCE to 300 CE).  Using natural dyes and fibers and hand-built ceramics, I combine traditional and ancient backstrap weaving techniques in a meticulous, labor-intensive creative process. In this way, I aim to preserve endangered traditional techniques and shed new light on them through a contemporary lens.—Terumi Saito

Terumi Saito (b. Shizuoka, Japan) is a New York-based sculptor and designer. She is a recipient of the American Craft Council Artist Directory; Presidential Scholarship Award from Anderson Ranch Arts Center; Houston Center for Contemporary Craft Artist Residency; Vermont Studio Center Artist Residency and Grant Award; Arquetopia International Artist Residency in Urubamba, Peru.​ Her work has been exhibited at venues such as Mana Contemporary; Artexpo New York; Spectrum Miami. Saito holds an MFA in Textiles from Parsons School of Design and a BFA in Graphic Design from Tama Art University in Tokyo, Japan.