Himo Art
Himo Art
San Diego based rope art maker May Sterchi was born and raised in Japan. Since the day she found the beauty of ropes, knotting became a part of her life. She has created her own unique and intricate shapes and colors. “I found myself very calm when I am making macramé, so knotting is like a meditation to me.” She put her inner stillness into her work and people often find the impression of calmness through her art. Her inspirations come from her childhood memories, and scenery that she grows up with, the ocean, nature, music and beautiful things that caught her eyes in daily life.
a sneak peak of Himo Art for The Radder
Favorite Tools
This cart is so very handy and I love it!
My style icon
Brigitte Bardot has been always my idle since I was a kid 
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Most of my inspiration comes from my childhood memories. I was born in and grew up in Japan. As a child, I spent a lot of time at my grandparents house. My grandfather was a priest in Mt. Fuji and there was a shrine in his backyard. It’s over 200 years old and was one of my favorite places. I came up with a lot of imaginary stories about the shrine (see photo above): talismans, the gate, the pond. . . . Everything I saw there inspired me to be creative with no limits! I very much enjoy the feeling of being free. I was a weird kid! Those memories remain vividly with me and I will never forget. This is nice since it allows me to feel very close to my grandparents even though they are not with me anymore. And I often find my inspiration from the things I love such as ocean, nature, shapes, colors and beautiful things that catch my eye in daily life.
Brigitte Bardot
May's grandparents shrine in Japan
natural elements
snapshots of May’s studio and inspiration in San Diego
