Written by Kate Knowles
What can you take back with you from your travels? Do you remember the warmth of that square of mossy stone where you sat to rest your feet, and where you enjoyed a sudden scatter of birds against the azure-blue sky? Do you remember that rosy sunset gilding the water as you traveled along the coast with a group of friends?
Artist Naomi Joy Yamamoto evokes the spirit of adventurous travel in her gorgeous, colourful leatherwork. When you look at Naomi’s earrings and belt buckles, and even the sleeves on her mason jars, you can see a slice of adventure waiting just for you. The pieces Naomi creates are saturated with colour, vintage in feel, and are begging to be touched.
Naomi Joy Yamamoto graduated with distinction from the Fibre Program at the Alberta College of Art and Design in 2006. On travel scholarships, she has been able to visit Spain, Tibet and China. During her studies, she had the opportunity to intern at the Haystack School of Crafts on Deer Isle in Maine. After she graduated, she was a fully funded artist in residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Banff, Alberta. Finally, in 2007, Naomi created Flightpath Designs to bring together the three muses that move her the most: travel, design and textiles. It was love right from the beginning.
Leather is a wonderfully tactile, malleable medium. It responds well to a human touch and can be shaped in nearly infinite ways. Naomi has woven her stories into each piece she creates. When you wear one of Naomi’s creations, or when you enjoy one of her leather-sleeved mason jars, remember that you’re part of the adventure too. All of her pieces are made by hand with meticulous attention to detail. She uses a captivating mix of found images from her travels and retro-style prints to create unique leather pieces that speak to the heart of any adventurous soul and always add the perfect finishing touch to any outfit or occasion.
In this big, beautiful world, there is a story waiting just for you. Come and explore your own personal flightpath, with Naomi Joy Yamamoto and Flightpath Designs.
