about Kanae Ito

  1. about

Biography

Kanae Ito
Born in 1973.

Kanae studied environmental design at Chiba University in Japan.
After graduation, she worked for a furniture company and at an upholstery.
While upholstering furniture and working as a designer’s assistant, Kanae started creating small interior accessories with recycled leather. She then began to create the items on a sewing machine.

Kanae explored to find a sense of value in the materials that have no place to be used.
She aimed to produce products that have the qualities of both beauty and functions.

On the other hand, the drawings, which Kanae had first created as her graduation project, have captured people’s heart for their full spontaneity and innocence.

In 2002, she established her own brand “solla”.

She began to create a new series of drawing works on a sewing machine.

Solo Exhibition

2002 “Tsuzuru” Ouchi, Ueno, Tokyo
2003 “rain or shine” 9jirushishop, Kichijoji, Tokyo
2004 “hikarinisukeru nijujo no e” Ouchi, Ueno, Tokyo
2004 “the exhibition of sewing drawing” Keibunsha gallery Enfer, Kyoto

Group & Collaboration Exhibition

2003 “Noasobi” Ouchi, Ueno, Tokyo
2003 “Cushion exhibition” Barden Barden, Gakugeidaigaku, Tokyo
2004 “Katamari exhibition” spiral market, Minami Aoyama, Tokyo
2004 “Kurashi mono mihonichi 2004” Living Design Center OZONE, Shinjuku, Japan

 

2004 Maternity leave
(Though, she designed some illustrations for the magazines)

While she was seeking for the life-time theme of her artwork, Kanae began to have an aspiration to express her strong passion for music. (The brand name “solla” comes from the tones of a diatonic scale, “sol” and “la”).

Kanae had drawn a picture book with a theme of music, which lead to the first collaboration work with a musician.

2011 Collaboration live with Akiko Segawa (singer)
Released “Mr. Swinging Pudding”
Cafe MURIWUI, Soshigayaookura, Tokyo

 

2012 Participated in the competition for “ARTLABOX 2012” at Shinjuku Art Complex Center, Tokyo.
Released “Hear the Sounds”
Kanae presented a collaboration live performance at the final exhibition.

 

2013 Solo Exhibition , AG Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Released “The Moon & The Sun”
Collaboration live with Akiko Segawa (singer) & Hiroya Tsukamoto (guitar)