Draped – Art of Printed Fabrics

Draped is an exhibition dedicated to printed fabrics – an artform that drapes our homes, bodies, and memories. Patterns and colour combinations arranged on fabric intertwine with our lives. They serve to touch, communicate, convey, remember, and remind. Through them, we create identities and individuality, along with comfort and a sense of belonging. 

Printed fabric plays a central role in the history, present day, and future of Finnish design. The exhibition showcases printed fabrics by 31 designers, spanning from the 1930s to today. Familiar patterns are viewed from an artistic perspective, with a special focus on the 1950s to 1980s, a period when fabric design in Finland expanded and began gaining international acclaim.  

Alongside beloved classics, the exhibition also features textiles from lesser-known yet extraordinary designers. Both hand-printed and industrially produced fabrics are showcased, blending artistic expression with technical innovation.

The exhibition opens in a space surrounded by the Bryk & Wirkkala visible storage, where changing exhibitions bring the life’s work of Rut Bryk and Tapio Wirkkala into dialogue with design classics and contemporary artists.

Draped – Art of Printed Fabric consists of work by: Jalmari Aarnio, Rut Bryk, Maija Fagerlund, Viola Gråsten, Pirkko Hammarberg, Saara Hirvisalo, Fujiwo Ishimoto, Maija Isola, Kaarina Kellomäki, Juhani Konttinen, Raili Konttinen, Emilia Kuurila, Maija Lavonen, Aino Marsio-Aalto, Marjatta Metsovaara, Vuokko Nurmesniemi, Matti Pikkujämsä, Markku Piri, Lena Rewell, Eero Rislakki, Jenni Rope, Maarit Salolainen, Pi (Ann-Mari) Sarpaneva, Timo Sarpaneva, Anna Semi, Howard Smith, Nana (Anneli) Suni, Eva Taimi, Anja Terho, Edward Terzibasiyan and Tapio Wirkkala. Also presented are works pieces from Aalto University’s New Landscapes in Textile Design project.