Karuselli (Carousel) (Furnishing Fabric)

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. Wakisaka’s energetic use of color and playful style for Marimekko resulted in designs featuring a wide range of themes, from Finnish forests to children’s drawings. The ultrasaturated red, yellow, and pink flowers of his Karuselli, or merrygo round, print gesture to youthful pastimes while also reflecting the psychedelic palette of posters, fashion, and album covers created in the late 1960s and early 1970s.