BEYOND BORROWING: Japanese Influence on Northern California's Bay Area Quilt World During the Late Twentieth Century

• Published in: Uncoverings Vol. 43; p. 158
• Main Author: Hines, Alice M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lincoln American Quilt Study Group 01.01.2022
• Subjects: 20th century; Aesthetics; Culture
• ISSN: 0277-0628

Given its unique historical and political context, the San Francisco Bay Area became a focal point for creativity and innovation during the late twentieth-century quilt revival. Prominent during this time was a deep Japanese influence on the Bay Area quilt world-an influence rooted in the large Japanese immigrant population; an aesthetic appreciation of Japanese culture and art generated by local university programs, museums, and exhibitions; and an openness to innovation, creativity, and diversity imbued in the regions textile and quilting culture. Based on analysis of data from oral history transcripts, historical documents, contemporary interviews, and conversations with quiltmakers, as well as the study of relevant quilts from the period, this paper traces Japanese influence on Bay Area quilting during the first three decades of the quilt revival. The resulting narrative shows how the road to cultural hybridity, a fusion of Japanese aesthetics and contemporary quilt designs transcending separate Japanese and American traditions, was paved with a history of cross-cultural exchange. Tracing the development of Japanese influence on Bay Area quilting uncovers an important aspect of regional quilting history that contributed to the uniqueness of the Bay Area's quilt world and the development of the area's contemporary quilt movement.