Akiko Ike will present the first-ever North American solo exhibition of renowned textile artist, Akiko Ike, from Niigata, Japan. Ike is the owner of the Niigata Ginka Gallery and Shop. At the age of sixty, she began creating her stitched pieces, using thin, worn-out indigo-dyed nappies and old work clothes. Giving these and other old textile, such as worn mosquito nets, advertising banners, and wrapping cloths, new life by stitching with strong new thread, she has developed a distinctive personal style she calls Chiku Chiku. Her works have been featured in many venues throughout Japan since 2006. Additionally, she has taught her Chiku Chiku workshops in Japan as well as Nantou, France, and Brisbane and Adelaide, Australia. In 2019 WMQFA hosted her first-ever Chiku Chiku workshops in the US. 

The Akiko Ike Exhibit runs from May 18, 2023, through August 27, 2023.

Generous support for Akiko Ike is provided by the Wisconsin Arts Board.