About Mia Kanazawa

Welcome to KANAZAWA! For the past 15 years I have enjoyed and been challenged by transforming wool into handfelted sculptures. Felting is an ancient process of creating textiles. It wonderfully utilizes the unique properties of the wool fiber. With the addition of water, pressure and agitation, a tangled mass is created which can be sculpted into a myriad of faciful shapes.

I started out as a modern dancer, and movement still informs all my work. I am interested in the labor-intensive transformative process of making handmade felt, as well as making objects such as puppets which in turn someone else interacts with and brings to life. I have created work for galleries, museums, theatres, parades, and festivals in the United States and abroad.

Puppets

Each of my puppets has a simplicy and elegance of line as well as an unique sense of character.and has been enjoyed by children, adults, teachers, therapists, and performers all over the world.
Handpuppets: Heron, Clownfish, elephant, Cardinal, Fox, Raven, Parrot, Kangaroo & roo, Dove
Fingerpuppets: Puffin, Puppy, Nesting bird, Kitty, Whale, Turtle, Snail, Fox, Penguin, assorted birds and cranes

Sculpture

I tend to work in series, so here’s some of them:
Skin Series
Fetal Elephant Series
Buddha Series
Daruma Series
Public Art

Theater

For 20 years I have worked with designer Debby Lee Cohen and Mark Kindschi, building giant puppets for theater and public events. Urban Bush Women, David Rousseve, Meredith Monk, New York’s Greenwich Halloween Parade, HBO, Houston Grand Opera, PBS’s Kratt’s Creatures and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.

Shows

Summer 2005

• Eliot Coleman's Vegetable Stand
  on Cape Rosier, Maine M - F 1 - 5, Sat 10 - 5


• 30th annual Directions Fair
  Mt. Desert High School
  Fri July 29 5 - 9
  Sat & Sun JUly 30, 31 10 - 5


• Common Ground Fair
  Unity, Maine
  Fri - Sun Sept 23-25

Contact

Mia Kanazawa
631 Weir Cove Road
Harborside, ME 04642
207/ 326-9065