Miyuki Akai Cook was born and raised in Japan. She has always enjoyed creativities since she can remember, such as drawing, painting, and paper cutting, then her mother introduced sewing, knitting, crocheting. It was very natural for Miyuki to pursue art as her career. She attended Seian Woman’s college in Kyoto for a year to study textile, which was the first experience she dyed fabric. She earned BFA in Interior Design from Osaka University of Arts in Japan.
In 2000 Miyuki took a journey to the U.S. to explore a different culture. She re-discovered an interest in textile while she was studying at University of North Texas. In 2006 she received MFA in Fiber/ Artisanry from University of Massachusetts- Dartmouth. She has been passionate for education and currently teaching at Marshall University, WV.
Her visual inspiration and aesthetic are often from Japanese heritage. She calls herself a “maker” because her curious and adventurous personality let her to use various techniques and materials for different purposes. As a mother and educator, she concerns about young generation. In her artwork she express our coexistence and dilemma caught between human society and nature’s gift of life.
“My work focuses on balance and dilemma caught between human society with all mechanical development and human as a part of nature. I often use disposable items and trash with traditional materials and techniques to express today’s human society. Technology must coexist with our only land, earth, since we will never go back to ancient life style. I am not blaming anyone, but I rather present the facts and problems for awareness.”
https://miyukiakai.wixsite.com/artist
MFA in Artisanry- Fibers, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, N. Dartmouth, MA
Fibers Program, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
BFA in Interior Design Major, Osaka University of Arts, Osaka, Japan
Textile Major, Seian College of Art and Design, Kyoto, Japan
Marshal University, Huntington WV
Associate Professor
Fibers
Email: cookm@marshall.edu
NAFTAE 