Akiko Kotani

Place: Waipahu

Born: 1940

Biography:

Akiko Kotani is a renowned fiber artist born in Waipahu, Hawaii. She was named Pittsburgh Artist of the Year by the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts in 2013. Her work has been featured in various collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other private, corporate, and museum collections. Akiko Kotani discovered her passion for textile art while taking a weaving class at the YMCA Manhattan. She is professor emerita of art at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and resides in Gulfport.