NunoZoo Celebrates Individuality
The inner world of each human being is unique, formed by perception and experiences.
With this spirit, the Nuno Zoo creations are also completely unique, one-of-kind handmade items.
My hands respectfully play with the oddity, mismatches, and disproportion of the various materials while searching for harmony in new and surprising ways. Talk with them, talk with your heart. We support your wild playfulness.
The inner world of each human being is unique, formed by perception and experiences.
With this spirit, the Nuno Zoo creations are also completely unique, one-of-kind handmade items.
My hands respectfully play with the oddity, mismatches, and disproportion of the various materials while searching for harmony in new and surprising ways. Talk with them, talk with your heart. We support your wild playfulness.
NUNO ZOO Supports Healthy Ecology
Isn't it happy when we say "yes" to art, AND "yes" to the Earth?
Each year in the United States, 11.3 million TONS of textiles end up in our landfills.
My creation started with a question;
How can we find playful and creative solutions to helping improve our environment?
I predominantly use recycled materials for our creations and shipping; unused fabric, scraps, preowned garments, and dead stock- with supporters such as local fabrication studio and textile company.
Small but mighty, each Nuno animal is a creative solution to reduce textile waste.
NUNO ZOO Technique
The NOT STUFFED animal.
NunoZoo's fabrication is a combination of techniques, developed over 20 years of professional work. I begin by forming a core and build the soft sculpture with layers of thin fabric. Some of body parts are made through folding a geometric shape into three dimensional form. The varied nature of the upcycled material gives way to the uniqueness of each animal.
Isn't it happy when we say "yes" to art, AND "yes" to the Earth?
Each year in the United States, 11.3 million TONS of textiles end up in our landfills.
My creation started with a question;
How can we find playful and creative solutions to helping improve our environment?
I predominantly use recycled materials for our creations and shipping; unused fabric, scraps, preowned garments, and dead stock- with supporters such as local fabrication studio and textile company.
Small but mighty, each Nuno animal is a creative solution to reduce textile waste.
NUNO ZOO Technique
The NOT STUFFED animal.
NunoZoo's fabrication is a combination of techniques, developed over 20 years of professional work. I begin by forming a core and build the soft sculpture with layers of thin fabric. Some of body parts are made through folding a geometric shape into three dimensional form. The varied nature of the upcycled material gives way to the uniqueness of each animal.
The name NunoZoo?
The name NunoZoo comes from two words;
NUNO means fabric in Japanese, and ZOO as a place full of diverse inspiring animals.
About the Artist
Nao Kobayashi is a puppet and costume artist. Originally from Japan and currently based in Northern California, she works in puppet design and fabrication for TV, entertainment, education, community and other art oriented services. Her passion for environmental sustainability lead her to develop original techniques since 2007, to work predominantly with preowned materials.
www.naopuppet.com
Awards
2024 Telly Award for a short film Little Journey
2024 Most Creative Award for Community Center Giant Parade, Sonoma the 4th of July Parade
2024 Best of Theatrical Award for Sonoma Trashion Fashion Runway Show
2021 Artist of the Year Award Mill Valley Fall Art Festival
The name NunoZoo comes from two words;
NUNO means fabric in Japanese, and ZOO as a place full of diverse inspiring animals.
About the Artist
Nao Kobayashi is a puppet and costume artist. Originally from Japan and currently based in Northern California, she works in puppet design and fabrication for TV, entertainment, education, community and other art oriented services. Her passion for environmental sustainability lead her to develop original techniques since 2007, to work predominantly with preowned materials.
www.naopuppet.com
Awards
2024 Telly Award for a short film Little Journey
2024 Most Creative Award for Community Center Giant Parade, Sonoma the 4th of July Parade
2024 Best of Theatrical Award for Sonoma Trashion Fashion Runway Show
2021 Artist of the Year Award Mill Valley Fall Art Festival
