Our Inspiration

SAORI is a combination of the Zen term sai, which means “the dignity of the individual,” and the Japanese word ori, which means “weaving.”

Our History

SAORI weaving was created in Japan by Misao Jo (1913-2018) in the late 1960s. A homemaker who started to weave when she was 57, Misao was surprised when a mistake in her first piece produced an unexpected beauty. Inspired, Misao began to develop a weaving method that embraced imperfections and spontaneity.

Misao introduced this form of weaving to people with disabilities. She and her son designed looms with features that made weaving accessible to this population. Today SAORI weavers are part of a global community, bringing growth and healing to people in 50 countries.

Yukako Satone, a designer from Japan, brought SAORI to NYC in 2001. In 2016, knowing how valuable SAORI could be to people facing life challenges, Yukako founded SAORI Arts NYC, a 501(c)3 organization, in collaboration with two other SAORI artists, Ria Hawks, a pediatric nurse practitioner, and Brandy Godsil, a fiber artist and fashion designer.