Quilt Nihon, which happens every two years, is the “largest and most prestigious international quilt contest and exhibition in Japan,” according to Visions Museum of Textile Art, the Arts District Liberty Station museum that’s hosting “Quilt Japan: The 17th Quilt Nihon.”
Visions Museum is one of four U.S. locations hosting an exhibition tied to Quilt Nihon’s latest iteration. The other locations besides San Diego’s Visions Museum: New England Quilt Museum, the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts, and the Southeastern Quilt & Textile Museum in Georgia.
Vision Museum curator Armando Garcia takes us behind the scenes of the exhibit, which is on view through Oct. 10.
“Quilt Japan: The 17th Quilt Nihon” is currently on view at the Visions Museum of Textile Art at Liberty Station. The exhibit is on view through Oct. 10, 2026. (Steve Colburn)
Q: How long ago did work start for this exhibition, which opened June 27?
A: We started the process to have this exhibition in May 2025 when we presented the proposal to our Curatorial Committee. Since then, we continued with the coordination of the shipment to our museum, funded by our philanthropy group, the Visions Giving Circle, and then designed the installation layout in the space, prepared the “condition report” for each quilt, designed the title cards and the visitor information, and installed it with the support of our wonderful team of volunteers.
Q: For those unfamiliar, talk a little about Quilt Nihon and it being the largest international quilt competition in Japan.
A: For 50 years now, the Japan Handicraft Instructors’ Association (JHIA) has promoted handcrafted arts in Japan by educating and training instructors in eight specialties: quilting, knitting, embroidery, lace making, painting, weaving, leatherwork and flower art. The JHIA boasts 7,000 certified quilt instructors among its 12,000 members.
Its biennial Quilt Nihon exhibition is a unique opportunity to appreciate the creativity and complexity of these works of art.
There are three categories: Traditional (inspired and based on traditional ideas), Contemporary (demonstrates originality and independent ideas), Miniature (quilts must measure less than or equal to 60 centimeters on each side, and ll aspects of the quilt are reduced and miniaturized).
Q: Quilting has long been considered an art form in and of itself. What is its place in Japanese culture?
A: Within just 30 years since the first introduction of American quilts to Japan, quilt making has become one of the most popular forms of needlework among Japanese women. It is estimated that there are now 2 to 3 million quiltmakers in Japan, which is one of the world’s largest quilt populations. Unlike American quiltmakers, who often learn to quilt through informal practice with friends, families or local communities and by attending short-term workshops, many Japanese quiltmakers learn quilt making within an established organizational structure that administers teaching and certification programs.
Q: You selected pieces for this exhibition from a large collection of quilts from Japan. Please share the criteria you used to choose the quilts you brought to San Diego.
A: This year’s Quilt Nihon exhibition features award-winning and notable works in its selection. The biennial awards nine different recognitions. We narrowed it down by selecting the first prize awardees in the contemporary and traditional categories. In the miniatures category, all the awarded quilts were selected.
Q: Logistically speaking, what care went into shipping these quilts from Japan to San Diego?
A: All the coordination between Japan and the United States was through the New England Quilt Museum, which did an extraordinary job maintaining the integrity of the artwork.
Q: As curator, what do you think is the most important takeaway for a viewer seeing the quilts in person?
A: One of the surprising features is the level of detail in the quilts. Many of the quilts, including the larger ones, have handcrafted details that make each quilt an extraordinary piece. The visitor, besides having a beautiful aesthetic experience, will also find a source of limitless inspiration.
“Quilt Japan: The 17th Quilt Nihon” is currently on view at the Visions Museum of Textile Art at Liberty Station. The exhibit is on view through Oct. 10, 2026. (Steve Colburn)
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“Quilt Japan: The 17th Quilt Nihon” is currently on view at the Visions Museum of Textile Art at Liberty Station. The exhibit is on view through Oct. 10, 2026. (Steve Colburn)
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Visions Museum of Textile Art presents “Quilt Japan: The 17th Quilt Nihon”
When: Through Oct. 10, 2026
Where: Camille and Vanessa Gallery, Visions Museum of Textile Art, 2825 Dewey Road, No. 100, Arts District Liberty Station, San Diego.
Admission: Free, but donations welcome
Phone: 619-546-4872
Online: vmota.org