Rachel Charlow Lenz is a multi-disciplinary artist who has spent her life surrounded by Japan. Her earliest work was in photorealistic drawing, followed by a deep dive into illustration and ceramic sculpture, metalwork (including a LOT of chainmaille jewelry), both standard and Tunisian crochet, and most recently, handweaving. She holds a B.A. in English and Japanese literature, an M.A. in modern Japanese literature and drama, and an M.A.T. in secondary education. After spending the entirety of her adult life in academia and the better part of the last decade teaching Japanese, she discovered the perils of autistic burnout and came to the rather overdue conclusion that her particular brand of neurodivergence and full-time teaching did not mix. (Artist’s Note: This is a gross understatement. I cannot stress this enough.)

Inspired to take this as a sign to pursue her original dream of becoming a professional artist, she decided to combine her work with her lifelong study of Japanese and founded Morigokochi. Her work, both old and new, is inspired by nature, the interplay of color and pattern, and her belief that art is not limited to the profound, but can also be found in everyday objects.

When not working, you can find her reading an unholy quantity of SFF novels, writing, or sitting on the couch trapped by her 80-pound “lap” dog/living weighted blanket, Azuki, watching British comedy panel and gardening shows, The West Wing, and Doctor Who for the thousandth time.