Yamanitori is the creative identity of an embroidery artist based in Tottori City, who works in the small, quiet gaps of daily life. Her practice began in 2008, when she first discovered Kogin-zashi (traditional Japanese counted-thread embroidery) through a book. After years of self-taught practice, she opened a handmade craft shop in Tottori City in 2012. In 2018, with the birth of her child, she closed the physical shop to focus on family and continued her work under the name Yamanitori.

The name comes from the kanji Shima (嶋), part of her maiden name — composed of the radicals for "mountain" (山) and "bird" (鳥). Charmed by the visual structure and the story behind the character, she chose "Yamanitori" for her creative identity.

Her atelier is simply her home. The crackle of a television or the laughter of children often forms the backdrop to her work. Embroidery fits into the spaces of motherhood — sustained in the brief moments between chores and childcare. Though her roots lie in the structured patterns of Kogin-zashi, she has since transitioned to freehand embroidery, drawing motifs from the playful perspective of her children. Her work is distinguished by a layered approach to color: a single black cat may use five or six different shades of black thread, creating a dense, three-dimensional texture.

Every Yamanitori piece is one of a kind — stitched by hand within the shifting rhythms of daily life, no two items ever share the exact same expression.