Meet Kim Harper | Fiber Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kim Harper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kim, what are you inspired by?
Pretty much everything in nature inspires me. I look at things: rocks, sticks, ropes, colors, and I just start dreaming of what I can do with them. A lot of my art pieces are inspired by sticks, branches, or roots I just happen to find while out exploring. I find amazingly-shaped pieces, and either the idea instantly comes to me, or I take it home and stare at it for awhile until I have the perfect idea. For example, I found an amazing root, and I just knew it had to be the base of a “tree of life” macrame piece. Most of the roots that I incorporate into my “trees” have been pulled from one of the Great Lakes in Michigan.

More recently, after purchasing property in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, I have been inspired by Saguaro cacti, and even more so by the cacti skeletons that I want to put into some of my work. I just created a Saguaro-inspired collection which, as of right now, is two pieces and growing, one being a macrame piece, and the other a weave.

I also really enjoy holding cotton ropes and/or jute in my hands while I’m working. A constant in my art is being inspired by the look and feel of the fibers that I choose, which are primarily all neutral colors.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Creating Mikihasa Decor was all about making neutrals even more beautiful by embellishing art with elements of nature. As a brand, we find great beauty in nature: unique sticks, branches, and twigs, as well as interesting rocks, and even pieces of tree bark. We incorporate these amazingly beautiful and yet simplistic pieces of nature into our art wherever it feels appropriate. It is all about a feeling — an inspirational moment at the time — that dictates the end product.

As the main fiber artist of Mikihasa Decor, my passion is creating outside the box of “normal.’ You won’t find me looking at fine jewelry in an upscale storefront; I can be found gathering sticks and rocks along the seashores and along the lakes, and soon in the Sonoran Desert.

I pretty much love breaking rules; to me, there are no rules when it comes to artistic expression. I get to create whatever pops into my head, and that is what excites me. Often times, I am literally giddy over my creations, and quite pleased with myself as they emerge; that is what makes it so much fun. I can take a huge piece of driftwood and cleverly turn it into an amazing macrame shelf that is a statement piece in my home. Nothing is wrong in the art that I create, since there are no rules.

Challenges? Well, I try not to take it personal when others don’t appreciate my art. I think all artists probably struggle with that. When we are creating, the art literally evolves from every fiber of our beings; each piece is personal to us.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, not sure if this answer is quite acceptable, but my favorite part of Tucson is not being in Tucson!

I am obsessed with the desert; it is where I want to be, amongst the Saguaros and other cacti. I’m over the moon if I stumble upon a Labyrinth to wander through. The first one I found, quite by mistake (although it is mentioned in their website) was the one at the Joshua Tree House. The second one was somewhere in the desert, just a little sight-seeing pull-off that actually ended up being the location where my husband and I decided that we were going to buy desert property after a reflective wander along the labyrinth’s path.

Our first experience with vortex phenomena was in Arizona, and it will be on the to-do list for all visitors we have to see the effects. In addition, being surrounded by the Tucson Mountains is our destiny, and we look forward to many visits from friends and family so that they can be impacted as much as we have by them and everything they have to offer.

We never realized how much wildlife there is in the desert, but one place that all of our visitors will find fascinating will be the watering hole on our property. We were surprised at what showed up throughout the day at the one at the Joshua Tree House, and we look forward to having our own very soon.

I will definitely travel for coffee, so show me any local coffee shop in town, and we will make a trip out of it. We look forward to discovering and then visiting them on a regular basis.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As far as shoutouts, I would be remiss not to mention my family! First, my husband has been a never ending source of constant (almost annoying) encouragement and support. He is always pushing me to pursue my creative dreams and desires, regardless of the outcome. Next, my two daughters. First, but not more importantly, my younger daughter for her incredible insight into my art and the amazing work she did on my website. Sarah Harper gets all the credit. In addition — and not lesser by any means — my older daughter, Hannah Harper, for her amazing legal mind and crazy editing skills, which have also found their way into the website. My family means the world to me, and it is really for them that I want to succeed in my art. Everything I do is for them.

On another note, I really want to SHOUTOUT “The Joshua Tree House” in Tucson, AZ. Since stumbling upon their IG account, I made it a mission to book a stay, and I am so glad I did. Their entire Posada is such inspiration to me! I have desert vibes resonating in my soul, and I have so much to learn from them once we relocate from MI in April, when we begin the process of building our dream desert home directly adjacent to their resort. If it wasn’t for them and their lovely resort, we might never have found our forever home.

Website: https://www.mikihasa.com/

Instagram: @MikihasaDecor

Image Credits
Just me and my iPhone, but my husband did take the one of me. He wants no credit.