Fujiwo Ishimoto

The textile and ceramic designer Fujiwo Ishimoto joined Marimekko on a permanent basis in 1974. He had previously worked for four years in various capacities for the Décembre company, which was involved in the design and production of Marimekko’s canvas bags, among other products. In Tokyo, Ishimoto had seen fabrics designed by Maija Isola in the 1960s, and he was so impressed by them that he decided to travel to Finland to find out what Marimekko and Finnish design was all about. He is still on that journey.

Fujiwo Ishimoto, how would you describe your style as a textile designer?
The most important thing about the textiles that I design is a certain earthiness. This means that the elements and textures of nature are present in both the themes of the textiles and in their colours. In my works, I seek the movement of nature and I am continuously looking for new colours.

You grew up in the countryside in Japan. What does that mean to you?
I believe that a certain way of seeing already develops in childhood. I remember well how I would lie in the grass during a spell while working in the fields, and I would look at the surroundings and the sky. At that time certain images were imprinted in my mind – images that I later transferred to fabrics, for example in the Lepo, Taiga and Maisema patterns. My aesthetic sense and my image of nature are Japanese.

How does the Japanese image of nature differ from its Finnish counterpart?
I have noticed that Finns are as if they were within nature. For Central Europeans, nature is above all a landscape. The Japanese concept of nature contains both aspects.

Are there any features in Finnish nature that you find particularly fascinating?
There’s no doubt that the bog landscape is the most fascinating thing. Bogs are associated with a certain spaciousness and mystery. The surface of a bog is an endless scene of things taking place.

What is the most important thing in your work?
The most important thing is for movement not to stop. In my patterns, I try to portray a world in continuous movement.

You’re also a ceramist. How does that differ from the work of a textile designer?
In ceramics, I am fascinated by making things by hand. When working with clay, one has to humbly accept the terms of the material. The form comes as if by chance. Clay and fabrics have in common colours and expression with them. It is extremely important for me to find the right colours and worlds of colour.

How would you describe yourself?
I am quite quiet. I don’t want to make a fuss about myself. But that doesn’t mean I’m an ascetic looking for some blissful void. On the contrary, I want to see life and joy around me. I’m sociable in the sense that in the company of others I discover myself and things about me in the best way. In this respect, Marimekko is an extremely important community. It is important to follow the flow of life and not to try to force it into a mould.

What is the meaning of Marimekko for your life, past and present?
One could say that I have a meaning through Marimekko. Alone, I would be nothing, but here I am Ishimoto of Marimekko. I am grateful for the philosophy of Marimekko, for the artistic freedom that I am given here. It is great to be allowed to design textiles for instance for people’s homes. I can think that part of me lives in them.