Mayuko Fujino: Nature-Inspired Cutout & Stencil Japanese folk art

Nature-inspired, hand-crafted cutout and stencil art with a Japanese folk art aesthetic by Mayuko Fujino

I am a self-taught paper cutout and stencil artist from Japan based in Columbia County, NY. Inspired by traditional Japanese stencil textile designs and the Mingei folk art movement, I have been making art since 1999 for clients such as the National Audubon Society, Atlantic Magazine, and the Nature Conservancy.

I make natural pigments from invasive plants and rocks gathered in the Hudson Valley, NY, where I live. Through this material process, I embed ecological management and natural history directly into the work.

My ideas emerge from interviews with local birders, farmers, and scientists, whose stories and knowledge I translate into visual narratives. I seek to deeply know this place I now live through collaboration with local scientific and agricultural organizations, and to integrate this learning with the cultural heritage I carry.

I present the work in accessible formats, including printed matter such as free educational art zines, note cards distributed through local businesses, and installations in libraries (Kinderhook, North Chatham), nature centers (Acra, Mt Tremper), and public bathrooms.

Interconnectedness (American Robin), hand-cut and stencil printed on paper with natural pigments from invasive plants: Multiflora Rose, Toringo Crab Apple, Common Buckthorn, Japanese Barberry, Honeysuckle, all collected at Hawthorne Valley Farm’s Biodiversity Trail.