Maija Isola, Master of Colour and Form

Finnish artist Maija Isola began her long and remarkable career in 1949 as a textile designer at Printex, a home furnishings and fashion company which preceeded Marimekko. Over 38 years, she designed more than 500 fabric patterns, which cover an amazingly diverse range of motifs and design techniques. Drawing inspiration from traditional folk art, modern visual art, nature and countless trips around the world, Isola’s most well-known pattern is the Unikko pattern, created after the founder of Marimekko had announced that no floral fabrics are to be designed at Marimekko. Isola did not accept rules or restrictions and designed in protest a complete collection of bold floral patterns.

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