Funto Ishimoto Exhibition 'From Marimekko Flowers to Ceramic Fruits' at Omotesando Spiral | ART

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ART | Navigating Between Vibrant Fabrics and Japanese Wabi-Sabi

Works by Ishimoto, who was active with Marimekko and Arabia, gathered.
Funto Ishimoto Exhibition: From Marimekko Flowers to Ceramic Fruits

At Spiral, a large-scale solo exhibition of Funto Ishimoto, a textile designer and ceramic artist, titled 'Funto Ishimoto Exhibition: From Marimekko Flowers to Ceramic Fruits,' will be held from Wednesday, June 19 to Sunday, June 30, 2019. The exhibition features ceramic installations expressing the world of wabi-sabi with 'Tōgan' (winter melon), and a display of numerous Marimekko fabrics designed by Ishimoto, presented in a cylindrical form, allowing visitors to wander through a forest of textiles.

Text by OZAKI Sayaka

A Major Solo Exhibition by Funto Ishimoto, Who Was Involved with Finland's Leading Brands

Funto Ishimoto was born in Tobe Town, Ehime Prefecture, in 1941 and moved to Finland in 1970. From 1974, he served as a textile designer for Marimekko, Finland's representative lifestyle brand, for 32 years, creating over 400 designs. Since 1989, he has been affiliated with the Art Department Society of Arabia, the country's long-established ceramics manufacturer, and continues to create ceramic works.

Portrait of Funto Ishimoto.

The 'Funto Ishimoto Exhibition: From Marimekko Flowers to Ceramic Fruits' at Spiral offers a comprehensive look at works shaped by Ishimoto's engagement with the natural world, the voice of materials, and his inner dialogue. While working with disparate materials like fabric and ceramics, the exhibition consistently showcases the two seemingly contrasting worlds rooted in Ishimoto himself: the vibrant, kaleidoscopic world and the serene world evoking wabi-sabi.

In the atrium of the Spiral Garden, bathed in natural light, Marimekko textiles depicting the seasons with grass motifs, 'kesästä kesään' (from summer to summer), will be displayed alongside Ishimoto's recent prolific works such as 'Tōgan' (winter melon). Additionally, vibrant plates adorned with lively fruits and flowers, and a large relief inspired by the speedwell, a delicate blue flower blooming in early spring fields, will be presented in the gallery adjacent to the Spiral Cafe.

Inside the venue, Marimekko fabrics designed by Ishimoto during his tenure will be displayed cylindrically. Visitors can also view precious sketches that reveal the process of design creation and idea generation. Furthermore, following the 2019 spring reissue by Marimekko of 'Onni' (happiness) and 'Kukkaketo' (flower field), which Ishimoto originally created for an American houseware brand in 1975 when he became a Marimekko designer, these fabrics will be prominently featured. Marimekko products such as mugs and plates printed with these designs will also be available.

Kukkaketo (flower field)

Onni (happiness)

During the exhibition, limited edition silk screen prints of 'Suiden' (rice paddy), created by Ishimoto in the late 1970s using Shu-Sō (SHU-SOU) washi paper from his native Ehime, will be produced and available for purchase, with live printing demonstrations by Ishimoto. The exhibition also includes gallery tours by Ishimoto and artist talks (pre-registration required). Additionally, the Spiral Cafe, adjacent to the venue, will offer a menu from Helsinki's Cafe Aalto, where Ishimoto is based, providing a full immersion into the breadth of Ishimoto's artistic world.