Textile Alchemy: The Art of Reiko Sudo & NUNO

Metallic gauzes, feathery organzas and shimmering silks: an ode to the lush and experimental textiles of Reiko Sudo Published with Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Since joining NUNO (“fabric” in Japanese) in 1984 and becoming the firm’s creative director in 1987, Reiko Sudo has pioneered innovative fabrics that merge tradition with technology, and handcraft with experimentation. Textile Alchemy accompanies the largest presentation of Sudo’s textiles in the United States and showcases approximately 100 fabrics alongside sketches and prototypes that immerse visitors in NUNO’s shifting textures and inventive surfaces—from rust-dyed rayons and feathers encased in silk organzas to chrome-plated fabrics and upcycled plant-fiber weaves. This richly illustrated publication explores Sudo's career through essays examining her design philosophy, NUNO’s place in contemporary Japanese culture and the groundbreaking technical innovations behind the firm’s renowned textiles. Featuring striking photography of both finished textiles and fabrication processes, the catalog offers an intimate encounter with works that have redefined the possibilities of fabric design—including Sudo’s bespoke sputtered-metal curtains for LACMA’s new David Geffen Galleries. A special edition with Swiss-binding and a gatefold featuring four NUNO fabric swatches is also available. Reiko Sudo was born in 1953 in Ishioka and studied textile production at Musashino Art University. She has been central to NUNO since its founding by Jun’ichi Arai and continues to work as its creative director. She serves on the Design Advisory Board of Muji and is professor emeritus at Tokyo Zokei University.