Textile Designer Sawako Hoshi Draws “Scenes from Memory”

Sawako Hoshi is a Helsinki-based textile designer. Her work, featured in The Art of Textile collection, is a product of the rich natural environment of Scandinavia. We took a deeper look into her creation process.

Captivated by a single vintage textile

Sawako has loved drawing pictures ever since she was a young girl. Her passion for creation continued, and while studying art at university she discovered an interest in textile design. “I felt that I wanted to make products that were essential in people’s lives, so textile design was a next step from my base of drawing,” she says. While at university she had the opportunity to discover Finnish textile design. “Up to that point my impression was of repeated graphical patterns, but I was extremely taken aback by the designs of Fujiwo Ishimoto [the Finnish textile designer who would later become her mentor]. The free and easy lines gave me a sense of being in nature. That was when I began to develop an interest in Finland.”

The “Scandinavia boom” in Japan today did not exist, and Kamome Diner, the 2006 film that sparked interest in Nordic countries, had yet to be released. There was little information available about Scandinavia, but Sawako still considered studying abroad, and during her junior year she was able to go on a cultural exchange. “Textiles are an integral part of life, aren’t they? The room the family prepared for me had curtains made from vintage textiles, and when the sunlight hit them, the way it made me feel was wonderful. I knew I wanted to make them things like that.”

The graduate school in Helsinki had a very different approach to learning compared to Japan. “As an undergraduate the style was basically to use your hands and make things only a student could do, but when I came to Helsinki I learned how to present and group work, which help become a better designer. I felt a little lost at first, but developed a foundation as a designer.” The inspiration for her creations was the rich natural environment of Helsinki. “If you walk just a little ways, there are many forests. As I’m from Tokyo, I was perhaps overly impressed by so much nature close at hand. The scenes of both the refreshing green of summer, and the long, severe winters that make it seem like you’ve reached the ends of the earth, were really beautiful. As I incorporated the elements that illustrated such scenes into textiles, and repeated the patterns, it brought to mind the expanse of nature.”

Seeking out “Scenes from Memory”

Sawako creates designs with a process known as “scratching technique.” She uses oil pastel crayons to combine various colors, and then scrapes away the crayon layers with a fine-point tool to create a pattern. The hand-made drawings are scanned into a computer, where they can be enlarged or shrunk, and the colors adjusted in order to create the textile design. “I start by freely drawing the ideas in my head. It’s like shifting back and forth between art and design, while imagining that these patterns will become textiles. I store the scenes I’ve actually seen in my mind, and then recall them from my memory as I draw. I sometimes take photographs as a record, but the part I value most is the impression I had when I saw those scenes with my own eyes. Sometimes I even draw scenes I saw in the summer during winter.”

The original artworks are created on B5 or A4 size paper. The handmade drawings are then fine-tuned using a computer.

Using the scratching technique, intricate patterns are carefully created individually by hand.

“Memory” is an important keyword for Sawako’s creations. The scratching technique is also something she learned in kindergarten, drawing fireworks during art time. She makes use of her childhood memories in her current production process. UT’s “The Art of Textile” collection, which allows customers to enjoy the allure of textile design through a T-shirt, includes her designs on the theme of “late summer.” “I drew curved lines like ears of rice plants drooping in autumn. I really like the sense of the changes in the air as summer comes to an end. It’s a little sad, but the air also becomes clear. The image that comes to mind is heading home on a pleasant evening. In Japan, you can also enjoy the aroma of fragrant olive trees. I wanted to create designs to wear as if that season melts easily into everyday life. My dress designs give the impression of the rain that falls with the turning of the season. I also like the cool air after an autumn rain.”

Hints to smartly incorporate textiles into your lifestyle

It would be wonderful if UT becomes the catalyst for more people to appreciate the allure of textile design. They would probably want to incorporate that allure further into their everyday lives. How do you do that? “Since coming to Finland, textiles have become more familiar items for me. Even in ordinary households they lay a tablecloth to enjoy a colorful table, or change the curtains to match the season. I feel like that lifestyle is full and rich.”

Sawako’s home is casually accented with curtains, cushion covers, and other items in a mix of patterns that still retain a cohesive tone.

The motivation for Sawako’s creations is what rooted in everyday life. “Through textile design, I want to add color to life, and enrich hearts and minds. I think that’s the reason I continue to create.” The way we live is changing dramatically at the moment, and discovering a single textile can completely change our daily scenes. That is what the potential of textiles offers.

©Sawako Hoshi