BELLEVUE, WA.- In the Realm of Nature: Bob Stocksdale & Kay Sekimachi opened at Bellevue Arts Museum July 3, 2015. The exhibition examines the parallel paths of two of America’s foremost craft pioneers with an inspirational selection of 50 years of Stocksdale and Sekimachi’s work. The two married in 1972, forging a creative partnership in life and in art.

The stories of their artistic development exemplify many of the determinative forces still shaping contemporary American Craft. As a self-taught and self-directed artist, Bob Stocksdale demonstrates the strong pragmatism of the folk roots of craft, while Kay Sekimachi reflects the assimilation of European education and influences from other cultures.

Stocksdale (1913-2003) spent over 50 years on a quest to unveil the compelling beauty hidden in wood from around the world, leading him to be hailed as the father of American woodturning. Rivers of wood grain, rhythms of growth, and traces of infestation enliven the simplicity of his expression in lathe-turned bowls. Among his innovations are his serpentine and ellipsoidal shapes, seemingly impossible shapes to turn.

Sekimachi, a master of complex weave structures, has made an equivalent impact on the field of contemporary textiles. Sekimachi rose to the forefront of contemporary fiber art in the 1960s and 1970s, restoring fiber as a medium of artistic expression. Approaching art with the same reverence for the realm of nature as her husband, Sekimachi creates distinctive pieces from natural materials such as linen, decaying leaves, shells, and grass, and pairs them with motifs inspired by nature.

In the Realm of Nature: Bob Stocksdale & Kay Sekimachi is organized by Mingei International Museum, San Diego, California. The local presentation of this exhibition is curated by Stefano Catalani.