Bhubaneswar: A young artist has come here all the way from Japan, all for the sake of the state's crafts.

Ichiko Funai, a 27-year-old native of Osaka, has been living in Bhubaneswar for the past one month to create contemporary fashion attires inspired by Odia art and culture.

"I like the crafts of this state. Here, I have got an opportunity to understand the perspective of the local artists and share mine with them at the same time," said Ichiko.

She has travelled across various districts of Odisha and collected impressions from the local artists. Her works are being exhibited at the ongoing Odisha Biennale Festival.

One of her installations has been created from everyday items, such as broom and brush. "The purpose is to give people a new perception on their daily lives," she said.

Another involves the golden grass craft of Odisha. "I first interacted with the artists. Then I hosted a workshop to learn the craft. The workshop concluded with exhibiting the products I had made. It was an extremely engaging process for me," she said.

Ichiko said she would love to come back to the state to learn more about the craft. "I want to do more research on the craft and create new things," she said.

Born in 1990 in Japan's Osaka, Ichiko graduated from the department of moving images and performing arts at Tama Art University.

She had launched her fashion art project, FiFi, in 2011.