Contemporary Artist Hiroko Nakakita Launches Original Fan Collection

Hiroko Nakakita Original Fans – 6.5-sun (left) and 5-sun (right)

Contemporary artist Hiroko Nakakita has completed the production of two original fan designs in collaboration with Kyoto’s renowned traditional fan maker, Miyawaki Baissen-an. The fans are now available for limited sale through her official website’s online store and at Salon Hiroko Nakakita.

The first design features a base of silver leaf and black, crafted with a natural wood spine and black hinge.

The second combines persimmon-tannin brown and deep indigo, with a lustrous lacquer finish applied to the persimmon side, and is assembled with a black lacquered spine and a tortoiseshell-colored hinge.

“In my daily life wearing kimono, I wanted to create the kind of fan I would personally wish to carry.”

“In the Japanese tea ceremony, the fan has been passed down as a tool to express respect and to compose one’s mind.

It is also said to have served as a symbolic substitute for the sword, embodying the aesthetic sensibilities cherished by the Japanese people.

Wearing a kimono and tucking a fan at the obi—

It brings poise to one’s posture and harmony to one’s spirit.

Both fans are designed as reversible pieces, allowing for different expressions on each side, so they can be matched to the wearer’s outfit or kimono of the day.

The packaging includes Miyawaki Baissen-an’s traditional wrapping paper, along with my personal logo.

Two sizes are available.

The larger size (6.5-sun) is unisex.

The smaller size (5-sun) is tailored for women and complements tea ceremony settings.

May these fans add a subtle touch of color and elegance to your obi,

Express respect, and help compose your heart.

I would be honored if they could serve such a purpose.

Hiroko Nakakita

Product Details

Fan 6.5-sun (approx. 19.5 cm) "Silver Leaf × Black"

Silver leaf side (reversible) – Black side (reversible)

Manufactured by | Miyawaki Baissen-an

Price | ¥13,200 (tax included)

Fan 5-sun (approx. 15 cm) "Deep Navy × Clove"

Deep navy side (reversible) – Clove side (reversible)

Manufactured by | Miyawaki Baissen-an

Price | ¥8,800 (tax included)

Original paper box and wrapping paper

Each fan comes in a custom paper box and wrapping paper, both featuring the artist’s logo.

Sales Locations

Limited sale available at Hiroko Nakakita’s official online store and Salon Hiroko Nakakita.

Official Online Store: https://hiroko-nakakita.com/onlinestore/

Salon Hiroko Nakakita: 3 Kaigan-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, 1st Floor, Ship Kobe Kaigan Building

(Business hours: Monday & Friday, 11:00 – 17:00)

About Contemporary Artist Hiroko Nakakita

(C) K. Kurigami

Born in Hyogo Prefecture. Graduated in 2006 from the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, majoring in Oil Painting. She began her professional career as a painter and continues to create from studios in Kobe and California, exhibiting her work internationally. Raised in a traditional household, her paintings explore the tension between reason and emotion, constraint and freedom. Her work is characterized by emotionally charged colors and the flowing drips of paint. In recent years, she has introduced a new motif: “the cycle of life.” In 2021, she opened her own gallery, “Hiroko Nakakita,” in Kobe’s former foreign settlement. Expanding beyond painting, she actively collaborates on product development that reflects her unique artistic vision, incorporating the spiritual depth of Japanese culture—kimono, tea ceremony, dance, and crafts—into her evolving artistic expression.

Official Website: https://hiroko-nakakita.com/

Official Instagram: @hirokonakakita_official