Seiko Kinoshita
SI Leeds Literary Prize commissions the same artist to create the Prize trophy on each Prize round, and is delighted to continue working with Yorkshire-based commissioned artist Seiko Kinoshita.
Seiko is a Japanese artist who lives and works in Sheffield. On gaining a Rotary International study Scholarship, she came to study MA Textile Design at Nottingham Trent University and later moved to Yorkshire Artspace, Sheffield in 2002. She has started as a textile artist creating textile installations for gallery & museums , working with community groups and schools, and to create public art. In recent years, her technique has broadened, she enjoys trying new materials with textile sensibilities and works collaboratively with other professionals to archive a unique large scale installations and art works.
Seiko said:
“It is my absolute pleasure to make a winner’s trophy every two years.
I love making each one whilst thinking about what kind of bright future these talented writers will have.
Wenyan Lu’s 2020 trophy
African, Caribbean & Asian cultures embrace rich patterns and designs in textiles and I used those designs to enrich my trophy design. I also love the warmness of handmade quality in those textiles, so all my designs are hand drawn first before laser engraving. Additionally I use gold gilding techniques like those textiles would use gold thread and gold paint. Reflecting the materials of traditional books, I chose to use wood, but native Oak and walnut to make a colour contrast. The hand design represents writing and all craftsmanship used to create this trophy.
Three dots of the base of trophy represent Soroptimist International, SI Leeds, Ilkley Literature Festival, and Peepal Tree Press.”
