Something fıshy
Crafty lady hiné mizushima brings science and fantasy together in one fuzzy, colourful package.
Hello! Tell us a bit about yourself. My name is Hiné Mizushima, and I’m an artist who was born and raised in Japan, but now lives in Vancouver, Canada. I trained in Japanese traditional painting, worked as a designer and illustrator, and am now a slow crafter, needle-felter and miniature collage artist.
What kinds of techniques and materials do you use? I mainly use hand-sewing, embroidery and a bit of needle felting for soft sculptures, with materials like yarn, beads, fabric, felt, ribbons, wood and wire. I also use a Japanese technique called kogin embroidery, and punch needle for brooches and pins.
Please describe your creative style in five words. Cute, weird, twisted, colourful, funny.
Your creations are so detailed! What kind of research goes on before you begin? I usually research on the internet and in books, and vintage science charts, anatomical models, natural history museums and aquariums always fascinate me. But I’m not interested in making something just like the real thing. My creations aren’t anatomically correct – I always add my imagination.
Given the level of intricacy in your work, would you consider yourself a perfectionist? If you saw my studio at the moment, you might not think I’m a perfectionist! But when I’m working – especially towards the end of production – I tend to add more and more detail to my pieces, going beyond my original idea.
How long does one of your pieces take to make? It’s hard to tell, because I usually start several at about the same time. If something doesn’t work out, I’ll leave it a while and make other pieces, then come back later. On average, though, I think it takes between one and three weeks for a soft sculpture.
Did you learn any interesting facts about sea creatures while putting this series together? I learnt the love and sex life of squids is rich in variety, and adorable, too. And octopi are one of the most intelligent marine species! They’re so smart and curious. My favourite story is of the octopus in an aquarium in the US that climbed out of its tank, stole a crayfish from another, replaced the lid on the crayfish tank, then returned to its own tank, shutting the door behind it!
What else do you do while you’re working? When the work consists of simple, repetitive tasks, I sometimes watch movies or TV shows, or tutorial videos for craft techniques that are not particularly relevant to my current work. When I’m working on complicated things or cooking up new ideas, I may listen to music.
Which is your favourite sea creature you’ve made? It’s hard to choose one! Probably the koi fish or small-ear squid.
What are you working on right now? Soft sculpture pieces and embroidered brooches for an exhibition in Japan. Soon, I will start a miniature collage illustration for the cover of a book, and I’d like to make punch-needle brooches for my Etsy shop when I can.
Where can we see more of your stuff? hinemizushima.com or on Instagram at @sheishine.