Kyūka Kanesaka
Master Gago Artist
金坂 久香
Founder of Kanesaka Yukari Kai. Kyūka has taught over a hundred students since she founded Yukari Kai in 1979. She is an active member of the Japanese American community and has fostered well over thirty students who have achieved their teaching credentials. Kyūka is also the official representative of the Kyūgetsu Doll Academy (Tokyo, Japan). She is granted the Los Angeles District Chapter (Los Angeles shibu, ロスアンゼルス支部) of Kyūgetsu Doll Academy.
Kyūkyōka Kanesaka
Master Gago Artist
金坂 久京香
Kyūkyōka started learning Kimekomi dolls from a young age of five. His early years were spent learning the art form from Kyūka. By fifteen, he was certified by Kyūgetsu Doll Academy as the first non-Japanese male to achieve his teaching credentials. Since then, he has been recognized and promoted to various ranks by Kyūgetsu. Recently, Kyūkyōka earned his Master Gago title granted only to master artists of the Kyūgetsu Academy. He was granted the name “Kyūkyōka”. He is the only artist in the United States who is trained in creating goshō ningyō, or dolls commissioned by the imperial court as gifts to foreign officials, dating back to the Heian period (794-1185). He is trained by renowned artist, Maeda Yutaka. In addition, Kyūkyōka is the only artist in the United States who is trained in the art of gofun, or Japanese porcelain.
