Designed by Katsuji Wakisaka (Japanese, born 1944)
Produced by Marimekko Oy (Finnish, founded 1951)
Finland, Helsinki
Oka (Furnishing Fabric)
INV-5993
Designed by Katsuji Wakisaka (Japanese, born 1944)
Produced by Marimekko Oy (Finnish, founded 1951)
Finland, Helsinki1969
Oka (Furnishing Fabric)
Designed by Katsuji Wakisaka (Japanese, born 1944) Produced by Marimekko Oy (Finnish, founded 1951) Finland, Helsinki →textileweaving - printed
Date
1969
Medium
Cotton, plain weave; screen printed
Dimensions
309.5 × 138.1 cm (121 7/8 × 54 3/8 in.); Warp repeat: H.: 77.7 cm (30 5/8 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Marimekko, Inc.
Trained in Kyoto, Japan, Katsuji Wakisaka was the first non-Finnish designer to work for Marimekko, a Helsinki-based textile company that became known for embracing the cultural exuberance of the 1960s. Katsuji brought an energetic use of color and a playful style to designs featuring a wide range of themes, from Finnish forests to children’s drawings. The ultra-saturated blue, orange, purple, and red hills of his oka (straw) print present a dynamic view of the Finnish countryside while also reflecting the psychedelic color palette used in posters, fashion, and album covers of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Also notable
Works in the same vein
Piano (Furnishing Fabric)
Designed by Katsuji Wakisaka (Japanese, born 1944) Produced by Marimekko Oy (Finnish, founded 1951) Finland, Helsinki
Karuselli (Carousel) (Furnishing Fabric)
Designed by Katsuji Wakisaka (Japanese, born 1944) Produced by Marimekko Oy (Founded 1951) Finland, Helsinki
Nietos (Furnishing Fabric)
Designed by Katsuji Wakisaka (Japanese, born 1944) Produced by Marimekko Oy (Founded 1951) Finland, Helsinki
