Kimono III

In 2001, inspired by his many visits to Japan with Bobbie, Eric created a series of minimalist collages titled Kimonos. In these works, the garment is reduced to its most elemental form: a horizontal shape suggesting sleeves, intersecting with a vertical form denoting the torso. Eric uses this structure to evoke this iconic garment, while his patterns echo the refined traditions of Japanese textile design.

Inspired by the number of Japanese museums devoted to picture books, Eric and Barbara Carle founded The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, the first American museum devoted to the art of the picture book, in Amherst, Massachusetts in 2002. The Kimono series reflects Eric’s engagement with Japanese culture and its influence on both his artistic practice and his broader advocacy for picture book art.