Oka (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. Katsuji brought an energetic use of color and a playful style to designs featuring a wide range of themes, from Finnish forests to children’s drawings. The ultra-saturated blue, orange, purple, and red hills of his oka (straw) print present a dynamic view of the Finnish countryside while also reflecting the psychedelic color palette used in posters, fashion, and album covers of the late 1960s and early 1970s.