It is a curious path that has taken Yoshi from the ancient, traditional art and design studied in Japan to various businesses in the wide-open Western culture of America.
ABOUT YOSHI
Yoshi Kogo grew up in Japan and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Art and Textile Design at Tokyo University of Arts. After graduating, she decided to move to the most dynamic and unpredictable place she can think of — New York City. There, she taught Fabric painting at the New School for Social Research and joined the American Craft Council. She also established her own successful design, manufacturing, and retail fashion business.
After Yoshi left the hectic life of New York City and moved to the quiet nature of Western Massachusetts, she met Eric Carle, who encouraged her to try her hand at children’s book illustration. Her first picture book, Who’s hiding Here?, was published in 1987, followed by her most beloved book, Big Al, in 1988. Thereafter, Simon & Schuster published a number of her books which were met with success.
Her artistic expressions reflect her experiences of a life lived in two distinctly different worlds.
Her techniques for illustration range from painting on silk with dyes and sometimes embroidery, to watercolor, gauche, and color pencil.
