Kiyomi Iwata draws strength from undermining expectations. A creative force raised in an era in which Japanese women were encouraged to stick to social norms, Iwata followed her own path. She has created a portfolio of pieces that not only play with the boundaries between art and craft, but also reflect her meticulous attention to detail and a life balanced between two cultures.

Like many in Japan, Iwata’s family prized scholarship over creativity. “In Japan, it’s acceptable to pursue art if you come from a family with a history of artists,” she explains. “I did not.” What she did possess was endless curiosity and a fierce urge to create.

After moving to the United States in 1961 under the guise of wanting to study English (“There were Hollywood movies and I was kind of da...