TANIOKA Aiko
(b. 1947)
Tanioka Aiko is one of only a handful of Japanese women to earn recognition
in the bamboo arts. Still young to have achieved mastery of her field,
Tanioka's designs and technical abilities continue to develop.
She met Tanabe Chikuunsai III in 1985 at an exhibition of his work at a
local department store. She stopped to speak to the esteemed bamboo artist
about her interest in his baskets and he invited her to his studio. For 15
years, she studied under his tutelage, learning the Tanabe family
traditions. Through Tanabe she met another bamboo student, Tanioka Shigeo,
who she later married.
Tanioka has exhibited since 2000 in "The Next Generation" at the University
of Arkansas and other shows. She has won several awards in Japan, including
the Hiramatsu Prize at the Osaka Craft Exhibition and the Nara Education
Committee Prize at the Japan Traditional Craft Arts Kinki Exhibition.
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