Profile
Ikuko Sasamura
A graduate of the Kurashiki Honzome Handweaving Institute, Class of 64.
Since spring 2018, has been creating handwoven chair pads in Hiroshima.
On January 1, 2020, launched Mainichi Knotting®,
officially starting the brand and sales activities.
"Mainichi Knotting" is a registered trademark. (Registration No. 6455951)
My Past Life as a Magazine Writer
In the past, I worked as a writer for an advertising magazine, constantly chasing deadlines. I spent my days glued to the computer until bedtime, always focused on trends and how much response each article would get. Life was fulfilling in many ways—I had good relationships and a rewarding job—but over time, both the world and my own values began to shift, and I started feeling an emptiness I couldn’t ignore.
I also came to realize that, after years of meeting others’ expectations at work, I was slowly becoming a hollow, convenient version of myself—someone who just functioned, without depth or purpose.
Finding Myself Through Knotting
Over time, I began to long for something different—to create something meaningful with my own hands, to work in close connection with people I could see and know, and to make beautiful things that would last for years.
My encounter with Knotting actually began a few years earlier.
During a visit to a folk craft store in Kurashiki, I discovered a small yet beautiful woven mat, displayed alongside Kurashiki glass and pottery. I wondered where it was from and how it was made. Later, I learned it was a Kurashiki Knotting mat, crafted for years at the Kurashiki Honzome Handweaving Institute.
Eventually, I left my family and spent a year studying weaving and dyeing at a small school in the Kurashiki Bikan Historical District. My classmates came from different backgrounds and age groups. Everything I did there was a first for me—I wasn’t particularly skilled, and unlike in my youth, my hands no longer remembered movements easily.
We lived in an old house that felt the extremes of summer and winter. Surrounded by folk crafts, we cooked large meals on rotation, scrubbed the floors by hand, and spent hours at our looms. Through that life, I felt I was returning to my true self—someone I had long forgotten.
After graduating, I returned to my home in Hiroshima and have since been knotting every single day.
I’ve realized just how difficult it is to make a living through handmade craft. But thanks to the support and advice of many people, I’ve somehow been able to keep going.
My current hope is to connect with people and places through my work, and for these chair pads to bring warmth and richness into someone’s everyday life.
At an exhibition, someone once said,
"These chair pads may be everyday items, but they feel like art that lives alongside you."
Those words touched me deeply and have stayed with me ever since. (September 2020)
Past Exhibitions
＜2025＞
April 2025
“Life and Furniture” at HOLM230 Live weaving and sales at HOLM230 in Ekiya, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima.
March 2025
Joint Exhibition with Bag Artist BERA at Gallery Itonosaki Collaborative exhibition in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo.
February 2025
Exhibition and Sales at Tanemak Hosted at “Tanemak” Shop & Gallery.
April 2025
Participation in the “Thank You for 8 Years” Event Atelier ∞ Tsuru 8th Anniversary Event, held at Ishiuchi Penon.
＜2024＞
December 2024 “mainichi knotting in himaar” Exhibition at himaar (Iwakuni, Yamaguchi)
November 2024
“Saikei – Colors” by Ikuko Sasamura Solo exhibition at Kurashi no Zakka mani (Shunan, Yamaguchi)
October 2024
“100-Year Apartment” Pop-up Store at Hiroshima Mitsukoshi
April 2024
Order-taking Event at Tanemak Shop & Gallery “Tanemak” (Hiroshima)
March 2024
“Life and Furniture” at HOLM230 Live weaving and sales in Ekiya, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima
February 2024
Hiroshima Craft Market “LACICU – Your Own Way” at Fukuya Hiroshima Station Store
January 2024
“mainichi knotting in himaar” Exhibition at himaar (Iwakuni, Yamaguchi)
January 2024
“Handcrafts Connected by Wool” Exhibition Joint show with bag artist BERA
at Gallery Itonosaki (Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo)
＜2023＞
December 2023
“100-Year Apartment” Pop-up Store at Takashimaya Osaka Main Store
November 2023
“Kai – Gathering” by Ikuko Sasamura Solo exhibition at Kurashi no Zakka mani (Shunan, Yamaguchi)
October 2023
Group Exhibition with Hiroshima-Based Artisans at Hiroshima Tsutaya Electrics Event Room (Edion)
September 2023
“100-Year Apartment” Pop-up Store at Hiroshima Mitsukoshi
March 2023
“Life and Furniture” at HOLM230 Live weaving and sales in Ekiya, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima
＜2022＞
December 2022
“mainichi knotting in himaar” Exhibition at himaar (Iwakuni, Yamaguchi)
November 2022
“Irodori – Colors” by Ikuko Sasamura Solo exhibition at Kurashi no Zakka mani (Shunan, Yamaguchi)
October 2022
“100-Year Apartment” Pop-up Store at Hiroshima Mitsukoshi (3rd Floor)
April 2022
“Hiroshima Handcraft Market” at Fukuya Hiroshima Station Store
March 2022
“Life and Furniture” at HOLM230 Exhibition in Ekiya, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima
＜2021＞
December 2021
“mainichi knotting in himaar” Exhibition at himaar (Iwakuni, Yamaguchi)
November 2021
“Fukiyose Marche” Pop-up Market at LECT Tsutaya Bookstore (Hiroshima)
October 2021
“Soeru – Support” by Ikuko Sasamura Solo exhibition at Kurashi no Zakka mani (Shunan, Yamaguchi) “100-Year Apartment” Pop-up Store at Hiroshima Mitsukoshi
June 2021
“Hiroshima Handcraft Market” at Fukuya Hiroshima Station Store
May 2021
“2021 Zakka Fest” at Yonago Shimmachi Tenmaya (Yonago, Tottori)
April 2021
“Tools for Daily Life” Exhibition at takumi (Ekiya, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima)
＜2020＞
December 2020
“mainichi knotting in himaar” Exhibition at himaar (Iwakuni, Yamaguchi)
October 2020
“Notting Chair Mats” Exhibition at Hiroshima Tsutaya Electrics Event Room (Edion) “100-Year Apartment” Pop-up Store at Hiroshima Mitsukoshi (1st Floor)
March 2020
“HIROSHIMA CREATORS Market” at Hiroshima Mitsukoshi
February 2020
“Musubu – Bind” by Ikuko Sasamura Solo exhibition at Kurashi no Zakka mani (Shunan, Yamaguchi)
＜2019＞
September 2019
Independent Exhibition at Ishiuchi Penon (Saeki-ku, Hiroshima City)
