Source: masayo.b Atelier mb (IG: masayo.b) - image reproduced with permission

Franco-Japanese inspired embroideries make your life happier: see for yourself

Embroidery has a long history and, some say, an unknown origin. Nevertheless, it has evolved in unique ways in various regions throughout the world and is enjoyed by people from every walk of life. Instagram user masayo.b is one of those such people who are enamoured by the craft. She used to live in France, an influence she has mixed with her Japanese upbringing in her art. Recently she posted this piece:

“This is a custom piece. I got a request for a female character with a coffee motif. The customer said that she will put the piece in a frame and decorate with it, so I made it postcard-size. The customer likes coffee and books, so I made it while imagining having fun chatting with friends at Café de Flore which is a famous cafe in Paris. I heard that many celebrities such as literary figures, artists, and philosophers gathered at this cafe.

I hope the day will soon come when you can have a good time at a cafe with your friends without worrying about anything.

Thank you for the order.?”

She also posted a picture of the famous cafe in the two-part post. As we’ve all experienced, it’s challenging to go out with friends and enjoy coffee at a cafe during the pandemic. It's even more mind-boggling to think that this has been going on for over a year. Indeed, it's been a long time, and everyone is tired. That said, I feel a carefree sense of yesteryear from her work.

She also posted this:

“This is a custom piece. A customer wanted something with mushrooms and a girl. I imagined the picture book もりのこびとたち mori no kobitotachi [the Japanese translation of Elsa Beskow's 1910 classic Children of the Forest] while I was working. When I imagined this picture book, which I liked when I was a kid, I had a nostalgic feeling and I could create this piece with excitement. It was challenging to capture the mushroom.”

Her playful and cute work makes me feel like I'd like to relive my childhood and remain a kid forever. As an adult, I never settle down in nature, say beside a river, to read for hours. Yet, there's nothing ever really stopping me from doing so.

The artist’s followers reacted:

  • “I love mushrooms too. It’s cute. The dark background is also good!”
  • “Nice. The mushroom is perfect in every detail. I love it.”
  • “Sigh...The back side of the mushroom is so realistic! It’s amazing.”
  • “It’s cute and mature. That’s your magic! Awww, it’s so beautiful.”

An animal motif

Yet, masayo.b has many styles and subject matter that she is good at. For instance, she also makes embroideries of pets:

“A present. I exchanged gifts with my favorite artist. I imagined that artist’s dog and incorporated it onto a drawstring purse. It was finished just in time for Christmas.”

Certainly, it’s quite the Christmas gift. Each of her works has a unique character. Her embroidery of a deer is no different:

“A purse accessory case. I started embroidering in 2021 for the first time with a radiant feeling. Recently, I asked an artist who draws beautiful flowers and plants for an illustration. To show my appreciation, I added a deer ? to the botanical illustration that she drew, and I made it with the image of an antique book cover in mind. It's been a while since I made a purse, so it was difficult. I used mint green trim on the inside.”

The detail is so delicate. Artists can express a lot of ideas and motifs with embroidery. I wonder what these pieces would be like to hold.

If you'd like to see more of masayo.b’s works, you can follow her on Instagram.

By - Luke Mahoney.

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