How would you describe your design’s identity?
My design’s identity is established by my background. As a Japanese textile designer, I would like to express my design through investigating ‘Iki’ that is Japanese authentic sense. ‘Iki’ usually means stylish and chic. However, according to Syuzo Kuki, who is a Japanese philosopher, ‘Iki’ is mainly composited by three words; the first one is ‘sensuality’ that has been developed in Edo era, and often seen as a technique in Ukiyoe, the second is ‘a sense of tension' that comes from Bushido- and Wabi Sabi culture in Muromachi era. The final one is ‘ephemeralness’ that is related to Buddhism and Zen concept. ‘Iki’ also means neat, frank, plain and charming. This can lead to the concept of simplicity and minimalism. I will take the concept, and introduce it into the space with my textiles. My textile design is to cooperate the flowing movements, that nature or everyday events produce, with my textiles in order to promote well-being in urban society. I will translate narratives that I have experienced or seen in nature or daily life, into textiles. This is like adding emotion to the textile. This eases people's mind and gives the impression of calm, familiar and feminine to buildings or products. This related to the my main message as well.
“My design’s identity is established by my background. As a Japanese textile designer, I would like to express my design through investigating ‘Iki’ that is Japanese authentic sense.”

You found the relationship between circle, pattern design and nature, does it lead you while designing?
Yes, absolutely. In my pattern designs, I mainly focus on using circles because it has a deep relationship with my identity. It represents harmonious, freedom and life cycle itself. I have found the relationship between circle, pattern design and nature; every event is repeating. The pattern design which is made with circles brings us the impression of the form of orderly, and it is emphasized aesthetic effects of surface design; this will cooperate with the structure of architecture. And the curvy shapes is reminds me of the beauty of women’s body as well. Charming, smooth and softy women’s body is really beautiful. As a woman, I would like to express this and try to cooperate with hard materials: architecture. I will expand this idea to geometric pattern designs that is adaptable for contemporary architecture field. I want to try different types of textile technique to express it.

How would you like to be pictured in your target minds?
At the moment I see myself in the contemporary interior textile industry and architecture fields. I have found that my work has a strong focus towards universal design and simplicity. My eventual achievement is to create a beautiful experience of the space itself and I want to cooperate with the people who have the same shared value. By creating adaptable textiles, I see the textiles that I create as a solution to the issue; less-emotional space. I am aiming that through the development of my textiles that is versatility would allow for the elements of architecture, and I create textiles that is used for functional products in that field. In addition, I would like to think how I can contribute to boost the Japanese Textile industry. They are so fascinated and distinctive, though, now it is little bit in danger, as same as other craft fields. Also, it is important to think the speed and money-driven development strategies of today, in order to achieve creating beautiful space with architects because textiles is one of the easiest solution for this without new complicated construction systems. By exploring the properties and potential of textile design to challenge the notion of functionality, I hope that how these traditionally decorative materials can be manipulated and broken the image of textile design to become a functional aesthetic within the design field. Through casting textiles, I would like to provide an experience of the space itself, suggesting a fresh sensation, imbued with memory and experience that I've ever seen.
“At the moment I see myself in the contemporary interior textile industry and architecture fields. I have found that my work has a strong focus towards universal design and simplicity.”
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Words by Katarzyna Korcz