Collections from Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki will be on view in Japan this summer as the exhibition Marimekko: Art of Printmaking – Beauty, Dream, Love opens in Kyoto on 4 July. The majority of the exhibition’s contents – around 70 objects and photographs – have been loaned from the museum’s collections.
Organised in collaboration between Japanese museums and Marimekko, the exhibition showcases Marimekko’s iconic textile prints, photographs and garments from different decades. The exhibition takes visitors on a journey from the company’s early years to the present day, offering insight into the creative work of the designers behind the brand.
“Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki’s collections provide a window into Marimekko’s history, but also into the distinctive work and careers of individual designers. Many of the most important names in Finnish design worked for Marimekko at some point in their careers. It is wonderful to see Marimekko’s textile prints presented in Japan, where interest in both Marimekko and Finnish design remains strong,” says Harry Kivilinna, Curator at Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki.
The exhibition traces Marimekko’s growth from a Finnish textile company into an internationally recognised design brand. On display are patterns and garments designed by Maija Isola, Annika Rimala, Pentti Rinta and Katsuji Wakisaka, alongside historical materials that tell the story of the company’s international growth.
“There is a sense of human warmth and imperfection in Marimekko that resonates deeply with us. You can feel the touch of the human hand in its designs, and this ‘perfect imperfection’ is likely one of the reasons why Marimekko has remained so popular in Japan for decades. We are delighted to present a major Marimekko exhibition in Japanese museums for the first time in ten years”, say the exhibition organisers in Japan.
The Marimekko Collection at Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki is the world’s most significant Marimekko collection. It comprises approximately 4,000 garments, textiles and fabric samples, as well as around 10,000 photographs documenting Marimekko’s history and the work of its key designers across different decades.
From Kyoto, the exhibition will continue to Tokyo and Hiroshima. Further tour venues will be announced later.
Alongside the Marimekko exhibition, another exhibition based on the museum’s collections, Kaj Franck – Timeless Finland Design, is also touring Japan.
