Hodsdon Kokeshi
Lisa Holt-Hodsdon 1973 Myrtle Beach South Carolina, USA
Jacob Hodsdon 1979 Syracuse, New York, USA
🧐 Note on Name Nuance
Business Name includes "Naomi Gallery"
About👤
Lisa Holt-Hodsdon is a Japanese-American artist specializing in painting and design. Her mother hails from Hachinohe, Japan, and her father from Boise, Idaho. Influenced by both American and Japanese cultures, as well as years of travel, Lisa’s work reflects a harmonious blend of tradition, modernity, and personal growth as an artist.
Jacob Hodsdon is an experienced woodturner and carver who finds inspiration in the natural beauty of wood. His approach to crafting Kokeshi focuses on revealing the balance between the wood’s raw, organic exterior and its polished inner beauty.
Together, Lisa and Jacob collaborate in perfect harmony to create one-of-a-kind Kokeshi dolls. Their burl wood Kokeshi, in particular, have garnered attention for their distinctive character and craftsmanship. Constantly innovating, the duo is known for introducing fresh designs that surprise and delight collectors. Based in Ithaca, New York, they travel across the United States showcasing their work.
Awards🏅
- 2014 - Professional Excellence Award, AAW Saratoga Springs
- Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, Master Artisans
- 2019 - Benchmark Award, PA Guild of Craftsmen
Exhibitions🖼️
- American Craft Show, American Craft Council
- Art Expo, NYC
- Smithsonian Craft Show, May 2024, Creating Peace
- Ann Marie Sculpture Garden exhibition 2024
Publications 📰
- Turned and Sculpted, Wood Symphony
- Art Doll Quarterly Magazine 2018
- American Woodturner, feature article 2018
- Kokeshi Trends Online Journal 2018
- Japanese Kokeshi Dolls, Manami Okazaki
- Sway Gallery London-Kokeshi exhibition
- vprcomm
- Masters of Contemporary Wood Art, Volume 1, 2, 3, 4
Broadcasting 🎥
- TV Asahi, Nationwide Japan 2019
Other📑
Sources
Molina, M. (2025, February). Folk art: Celebrating Women Artisan 2 (Special Issue No. 6, 24 pp.). Kokeshi Trends Journal. Edited by Jill Holmgren.
Manami Okazaki. (2020). JAPANESE KOKESHI DOLLS : the culture and craft of japan’s iconic wooden dolls. (First Edition, pp. 168 Pages). Tuttle Publishing.
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