Kyoko Ibe
Japanese, 1941
Kyoko Ibe is a celebrated Japanese visual artist and papermaker known for transforming the traditional art of washi into a contemporary medium. Born in Nagoya in 1941, she studied at the Kyoto Institute of Technology and has spent decades pioneering the use of handmade paper in large-scale installations, theater, and performance art. Her work blends ancient Japanese paper traditions with modern techniques, often incorporating antique documents, sumi ink, and gampi fibers to create dynamic, textured compositions. Ibe has exhibited internationally, taught in over 20 countries, and was named a Cultural Ambassador by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs. She is a recipient of the Isadora Duncan Visual Design Award and the Kyoto City Cultural Merit Award, and continues to lead as professor emerita at the Kyoto Institute of Technology and director of the Japan Paper Academy.
