MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE CENTER
July 3–5, 2026 

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Shoko hatano

畑野 昭子

Shoko Hatano is a Japanese contemporary quilt artist and a member of the Japan-Europe Palace Art Association.
Her works have been exhibited extensively throughout Japan as well as in numerous countries around the world.

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 Color Box #40 

Artist’s Statement

Within Japan’s quilting community, traditional styles have long been the norm. My work, however, takes a different approach. I create contemporary quilts by first developing my own materials, dyeing fabrics and incorporating various mixed media selected to suit the concept of each piece.
Techniques such as painting, airbrushing, shrinking, and image transfer are applied to create unique surfaces and textures.
I also make extensive use of free-motion machine quilting to add an intuitive and expressive tactile quality.

This work is part of my Color Box series.
Metallic fabrics and red textiles were treated with a shrink process and assembled through a free and intuitive approach, without the use of formal drafting or patterns.
As I worked at the sewing machine, I reflected on the peace of everyday life while envisioning an even brighter future filled with hope, vitality, and continued progress.
I would be delighted if viewers could experience the rich energy and vibrant power conveyed through the colors of this piece.

I am currently developing several ongoing series, including Color Box, Cosmos, Animal, and Flowers.
My work has been featured in numerous solo exhibitions and has received awards both in Japan and internationally.
I have also published two books on my contemporary quilt art, The World of Contemporary Quilts by Hatano.

伝統的な作風が主流のキルト界ですが、私の作品の表現方法は布や異素材を作品のイメージに合わせて染め、ペイント、エアーブラッシュ、シュリンク、転写などを施して素材作りから初めてコンテンポラリーキルトとして制作しています。またミシンでフリーモーションキルトを酷使して感覚的質感を加味するのが常です。
この作品はColor Boxシリーズの一枚でメタリック布と赤布にシュリンクを施して製図や型紙も無く自由な発想で、平和な日常を思い今後も益々の明るい未来と発展を望みつつ思いを膨らませながらミシンと向かい合いました。色彩からの豊かなパワーとエネルギーも感じて頂けたら幸いです。
現在はColor box, Cosmos, Animal， 華などをテーマにシリーズで製作中。個展、国内外入賞多数。又2種類の『畑野子コンテンポラリーキルトの世界』を出版。

 Cosmos #13 

Artist’s Statement

This work belongs to my Cosmos series.
In this series, I view the universe in a broad sense, extending from the vastness of outer space to an imagined journey deep into the Earth’s mysterious core.
The concept developed through an overlap between this exploration and the complexities and uncertainties of contemporary society.

According to geology, the colors and minerals found within the Earth change depending on depth and pressure.
Inspired by this idea, I created this work while reflecting on the journeys we undertake through life and society, hoping that even amid confusion and uncertainty, we may continue to find light, hope, and possibility.

Cotton and satin fabrics were dyed and enhanced with airbrushing and my own original shrinking techniques.
Gold leaf as well as gold and silver metallic powders were added to enrich the work and further express these thoughts and aspirations.

この作品は宇宙シリーズで宇宙を広く捉えて地下深い未知の地球中心部コアへの旅と、混沌とした現代社会の現状が重なり思いを発展させました。
地学では深さや圧の変化により輝く色や鉱物も異なるそうです。この混沌とした社会や人生の旅も輝きや希望が持てる事を願いつつ制作。
綿、サテンに染め、エアーブラッシュ、独自のシュリンクを施して金箔や金銀粉をあしらって思いを加味しています。

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Japan-Europe Palace Art Association Commentary

Shoko Hatano’s work presents a distinctive artistic world in which the traditional craft of quilting is elevated into a richly expressive form of contemporary art.
Through a wide range of techniques—including dyeing, shrink processing, and free-motion quilting—she creates surfaces that are at once painterly and sculptural, vividly expanding the expressive possibilities inherent in textile materials.
Layers of color and texture transcend mere decoration, evoking landscapes woven from time, memory, and human experience.
Dynamic interactions between line and form are carefully balanced between order and freedom, generating a powerful sense of rhythm throughout the composition.
Deep reds, purples, blacks, and luminous metallic accents resonate with one another to create a richly layered spatial depth, inviting viewers to engage their imagination without limits.
Underlying Hatano’s artistic practice is both the mastery of craftsmanship cultivated over many years and an unwavering spirit of experimentation that continually challenges convention.
In her hands, fabric becomes far more than a material; it transforms into a language through which color, texture, and composition are articulated.
As a result, her works establish a compelling dialogue with abstract painting and sculptural expression alike.
It is at the intersection of tradition and innovation, technical mastery and creative freedom, that Akiko Hatano’s unique artistic vision emerges with remarkable clarity.

畑野昭子の作品は、キルトという伝統的な技法を礎としながら、現代美術としての豊かな造形性へと昇華された独自の世界を示している。
染色やシュリンク加工、フリーモーションキルティングなど多様な手法によって生み出された布の表情は、絵画的でありながら同時に彫刻的でもあり、素材そのものが持つ可能性を鮮やかに拡張している。
幾重にも重なる色彩やテクスチャーは、単なる装飾性を超え、時間や記憶、そして人の営みが織り重なる情景を想起させる。力強く交錯する線と面は秩序と自由の均衡の中で構成され、画面には豊かな律動が生まれている。
深みのある赤や紫、黒、金彩の輝きは互いに呼応しながら重層的な空間を形成し、観る者の想像力をどこまでも広げてゆく。
また畑野昭子の創作には、長年にわたり培われた確かな手仕事と、既成概念に留まることのない探究心が一貫して流れている。布はもはや素材に留まらず、色彩や質感、構成を語るための言語となり、その表現は抽象絵画や立体造形とも響き合う。伝統と革新、技巧と自由な発想が高い次元で交差するところに、畑野昭子ならではの芸術世界が鮮明に表れているのである。