Illustrator and embroidery artist Tomoko Kubo is stitching their way through the Japanese hiragana lettering system. There are 46 characters within the lettering system, and Kubo has designed each piece as a colorful peek into the character. Every bubble design features foods, animals, landscapes, and activities that begin with the chosen character.
Even if you don’t know how to read or write Japanese, you can get an idea of words formed using the characters by simply looking at the illustrations within each letter. The results are a colorful, growing collection of embroidered art that shows how language illuminates our lives by giving us a way to express ourselves in writing.
From a technical perspective, Kubo primarily uses satin stitch to depict the imagery within the letterforms. The technique is a basic (and essential) fill stitch that uses parallel lines to create rows of thread that sit nicely atop the fabric like a satin sheet. Although it's a beginner-level stitch, Kubo has given it visual interest by changing the direction of the stitches. Beyond satin stitch, Kubo uses knotted stitches like the French knot and piled stitches like turkey work as accents on things like sushi and shrimp.
Kubo began the embroidery lettering as a personal project a few years ago and has continued to complete new characters as time allows. The project has been moving faster than expected, and the artist has created “Sa” (さ), “Shi” (し), “Su” (す), and “Se” (せ). They are now working on “So” (そ).
Follow Kubo’s project on Instagram.
Illustrator and embroidery artist Tomoko Kubo is stitching their way through the Japanese hiragana lettering system.
There are 46 characters within the lettering system, and Kubo has designed each piece as a colorful peek into the character.
Every bubble design features foods, animals, landscapes, and activities that begin with the chosen character.
Even if you don’t know how to read or write Japanese, you can get an idea of words formed using the characters simply by looking at the illustrations within each letter.
Kubo began the embroidery lettering as a personal project a few years ago and has continued to complete new characters as time allows.
Tomoko Kubo: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Tomoko Kubo.
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