By Angela Cabotaje

Light is a prized resource here in the typically overcast Pacific Northwest. So when a light fixture is considered to illuminate our homes, restaurants and stores, we know that it must not be just functional — it must also inspire and stir our imaginations. Kyoto native and current Seattle resident Yuri Kinoshita is here to do just that. Her lighting designs are organic, playful, comfortable and beautiful. From luminous cloudlike chandeliers to sculptural woven lanterns, each piece emits a softly filtered light and is designed to “shine” even when the light is turned off. The resemblance of Yuri’s creations and traditional Japanese shoji screens is not a coincidence. Yuri draws inspiration directly from her childhood memories of growing up in Japan and from her family’s kimono business dating back three generations. “The artistic spark within me as a child was gradually ignited by my continual exposure to the beauty of the kimono fabrics, houses and gardens designed by traditional Japanese artists and craftsmen,” Yuri recalls. An upbringing in such a creative environment led her to travel throughout Africa, Europe, South America and Asia. From her adventures, she formed a design viewpoint that combines traditional materials in innovative and creative ways. Today, Yuri has a studio in Seattle where she comes up with new concepts for her various projects and clients. Once the vision is finalized, an independent steel fabricator creates the metal lighting frame. Then Yuri cuts, prepares and weaves strips of washi paper to it.  Her work has appeared in the Northwest, Japan and Germany, including a custom lighting installation in new restaurant Momiji on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. Yuri is now looking forward to the challenge of outdoor lighting (she is working on making waterproof washi) while she  continues to illuminate cherished space around the world.
Info: www.yurikinoshita.com

Yuri’s recent works can be seen at the new Kyoto-inspired restaurant Momiji in Capitol Hill.

Her lighting designs are organic, playful, comfortable and beautiful.