Biography

Sayoko Kitai | 3D Embroidery Artist

The Art of 3D Embroidery Sayoko
3D Embroidery Sayoko is an exquisite form of artistic expression that weaves life into threads, elevating traditional embroidery from a flat surface into a three-dimensional masterpiece. Captivated by the structural beauty of nature, the studio crafts lifelike 3D embroidery pieces that faithfully recreate insects, animals, and plants.

The Journey and Innovation
Largely self-taught, Sayoko submitted her work for the first time to the National Embroidery Competition sponsored by the Mainichi Shimbun in 1991. Her tapestry piece, My Dream Room—which depicted furniture, plants, and birds entirely in 3D embroidery—won the Grand Prize.

Following this achievement, she sought to accomplish what had long been considered impossible in traditional flat embroidery: crafting pieces where the reverse side is just as flawless and beautiful as the front. She invented a unique technique called “Double-Sided 3D Embroidery,” which finishes both sides simultaneously with a single stitch. She officially registered this groundbreaking method as a trademark in 1999.

Bringing Butterflies to Life
Enchanted by the elegance of nature, Sayoko has dedicated herself to thoroughly studying the shape, movement, and texture of butterflies. By meticulously adjusting thread tension and needle angles stitch by stitch, she utilizes threads finer than standard cotton, along with platinum and pure gold threads in single strands. This painstaking process recreates the delicate thinness, radiant brilliance, and even the fluttering movement of butterfly wings, establishing her signature 3D butterfly brooches. Viewed from any angle, these pieces achieve a complete 360-degree sculptural expression. By combining this method with her original wire techniques, she allows the wings to be gently shaped, creating artworks that look as if they might take flight at any moment.