Motoko Watanabe was born in Japan. She studied fine art there, then worked for commercial art galleriies in Tokyo, during which time she also painted. Motoko moved to New Zealand in 2000, and continued to paint until the birth of her daughter.

This new phase of her life journey guided her to work with a different material: used fabric. Motoko found that working in this medium sat well with motherood. This is Motoko’s fourth exhibition of soft sculpture in Dunedin, and her first at St Paul’s Cathedral. Motoko says “I hope you enjoy the voice of the fabric.”