Inspired by Exchange by Johanna Gullichsen

Johanna Gullichsen Textile Craft & Design celebrates collaboration at Helsinki furniture, interior decoration and design fair Habitare from 9–13 September 2015.

The Inspired by Exchange exhibition presents five collaborations that reach from the Nordic countries to Japan. Gullichsen first collaborated with Japanese Yamakawa Rattan in Milan, during spring 2015. At Habitare, Gullichsen and Yamakawa Rattan debut the Fruit Bowl lounge chair, designed by Hiroomi Tahara and upholstered with Doris cotton from Gullichsen’s collection.

Gullichsen and Helsinki-based design and architecture agency Poiat join forces in the streamlined Lavitta chair by Poiat. For Kyoto-based paper company Box&Needle, Gullichsen transformed its signature Doris pattern into a freehand drawing, which was hand-printed on sheets of Japanese washi paper used on various decorative storage boxes. The exhibition also presents a long-lasting collaboration with Helsinki-based accessories company Costo, specialised in using industrial excess materials in its products.

“New collaborations usually spring naturally,” Johanna Gullichsen explains. “They enable us to work on new materials, for instance, such as in Box&Needle collaboration. With them, I wanted to translate a pattern properly onto paper, which is a new material for me. I ended up drawing the pattern by hand instead of taking a photo out of it.”

Johanna Gullichsen also launched the first contract quality upholstery fabric at Helsinki Design Week’s main venue L3 Design Dock from 3–13 September 2015. The next stop for this new collaborations and contract fabric will be the Finnish Form pavilion at Tent London from 24–27 September and at exhibition Down Town Design at Dubai Design Week from 27–30 September 2015. •