Charlene Asato became interested in bookbinding 25 years ago while learning calligraphy in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 2003 back in her hometown of Hawai’i, she has focused on incorporating her art pursuits into her artist books. She creates these art books utilizing calligraphy, photography, paper surface design, watercolor, embossing, linocuts, origami, assemblage and collage. Her artist books, photographs and mixed media artwork have been included in juried shows in Hawai’i and exhibited nationally. Charlene states “I find it fascinating that a simple fold changes a two-dimensional plane into a three-dimensional form. I have explored this concept in my artist’s books that often open up with sculptural attributes.”
Charlene also creates cloth dolls, fashioning her own accessories to scale while paying close attention to the craftsmanship of Hawaiian or Japanese traditions.
Charlene draws inspiration from the colors, patterns and textures of things around her and has a deep appreciation for natural flora. Charlene states “Gardens are my favorite places. I strive for harmony in my work with a bit of whimsy.”