We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Scharine Kirchoff. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Scharine below.

Scharine, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I grew up amongst creatives, so I guess it was just natural that I would eventually follow an artistic path. My mother is a couture designer/seamstress, my grandmother was a kimono maker, weaver, and indigo dyer, my grandfather was a woodworker/cabinet maker, my uncle was a stage-set designer for NHK television in Tokyo–the creative traditions run deep in my family. My own education is actually in the sciences, and I worked as a professional geologist for many years. Nevertheless, I always had textile artwork projects that I practiced on the side each, and everyday. I was born in Okinawa, Japan where the daily practice of natural dyeing, weaving, and other textile artworks are embedded in everyday life. Hence, the art of a daily practice was handed-down to me in my youth, and so it became a part of me, and my life journey early on. One day, I just “had a feeling” that it was time to commit myself full-time to an artistic path. I have never looked back since I made the decision, and the journey has been absolutely delightful.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a professional textile artist that utilizes handweaving, indigo/botanical dyeing, and hand-stitching techniques in my artwork. The colors, and textures in my hand-produced cloth reflect my love for nature. My most recent work is contemporary, however I am well versed, and educated in the traditional Ryukyu methods from Okinawa, Japan. I pride myself in the quality of my textile artwork, and the diversity of my technical skill-set. Much of my learnings were handed-down to me through generations of textile artists in my family. Hence, it is a privilege to carry-on my cultural textile heritage. In addition to exhibiting my artwork, I am pleased to share my knowledge. I teach workshops in hand-weaving, indigo dyeing, botanical dyeing/printing, and hand-stitching. I am grateful to have had opportunities to exhibit my artwork in the U.S., and internationally in Europe, Japan, and Australia. In addition, it has been fulfilling to have taught workshops in the U.S., Europe, and Japan too.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson that I had to unlearn is that of following tradition. Early on in my life, I was taught traditional Ryukyu textile methods, and how to apply the methods to create traditional designs, and traditional textiles. As I continued my artwork journey, however, I had to break-out of tradition in an effort to create textile arts that are personally reflective of me, as an artist. This was a difficult decision on my part because my indigenous Ryukyu textile heritage is at risk of being lost. So, I made the decision to carry-on my cultural textile heritage in my own way…by producing contemporary works that honor the traditions, and designs of the past.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I’m grateful to work in art studios located in several locations. My story of resilience pertains to my art studio in Houston, TX. Five (5) years ago, I lost my studio, artwork, and supplies as a result of the release of floodwaters during Hurricane Harvey. The loss was great, and dealing with the loss was overwhelming at times. However, my dedication to a daily art practice helped me to work through the loss in a meaningful way. Through my daily practice, I was able to center myself, and take the necessary steps to move forward. I am still a practicing studio artist today, and have rebuilt my studio in Houston as result of resilience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ryukyuheritagetextiles.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scharine.kirchoff.artist/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scharine.kirchoff/

Image Credits
All images captured by the artist