This week, we’re sharing the incredible work of Sakura Sugiyama (@sakurasugiyama_tuft), a tufting artist from Tokyo, Japan, who has been refining her craft for the past three years. What sets Sakura apart? Her incredible attention to detail—where yarn replaces the pencil and her rugs become textured, hyper-detailed, photo-realistic paintings.
These are not simple rugs that are done in a day, Sakura can take up to a month to finish her amazing work, tinkering and improving it constantly to get this photo realistic result.
From Sketches to Tufting
Sakura’s journey into tufting began much like many modern artists—through Instagram. “I happened to find out about tufting on Instagram and became interested in it,” she recalls. But her artistic roots run much deeper.
“When I was young, I wanted to go to art college. My entrance exam studies were mainly pencil sketches—drawing objects exactly as they appeared, or even more beautifully than they were.”
That focus on realism and texture never left her. Now, she applies that into her tufting work. “For me, tufting is a painting in which the pencil is transformed into yarn. I’m always exploring how far I can go in realistic expression with yarn.”
The Creative Process
Her featured piece took about a month to complete, and one of the biggest challenges was creating smooth gradients—a meticulous process of selecting, testing and blending yarns.
“I always think of combinations of yarns to create good gradients,” she explains. Using a standard AK-1 tufting gun, she layers colors and textures to build depth, bringing her designs to life with an incredible level of detail.
What’s Next for Sakura?
Sakura’s work is gaining well-deserved recognition, and this year, she’s taking her art beyond Japan. “I have already planned to participate in a few exhibitions outside the country this year.”
If you’re as fascinated by her work as we are, make sure to follow her journey on Instagram at @sakurasugiyama_tuft.
