Yurika Isoe reuses unwanted clothing to make face masks, which she sells on a donation basis.
Yurika Isoe’s love of sewing and embroidery came from her grandma, who is from Okinawa, Japan, and was a prisoner of war in World War II.
“When she returned to the island, she didn’t have a lot of wealth, but she knew how to sew,” Isoe says. “So she started making clothing out of textiles, so that’s kind of how she got her footing back post-war.”
Isoe’s grandma eventually started making uniforms for schools in the area.
“I grew up with her in my life and it always inspired me because you have this skill and you can change your situation around you and make a way for yourself,” Isoe says.
Isoe, a Tucson native, is now involved in many art ventures from her grants administrator position with the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona to her involvement with the Social Justice Sewing Academy.
