Where Art meets Home: Marimekko x Sabine Finkenauer’s artful collaboration

In a world where things can get overwhelmingly complex, Marimekko, a renowned Finnish design house embraces the enduring allure of simplicity. Their latest homeware collection designed by Barcelona-based German artist Sabine Finkenauer is a vibrant addition to Marimekko’s celebrated Artist series. The collection presents a captivating array of items that encapsulate the essence of art within everyday objects. The heart of this collaboration explores the synergy between Finkenauer’s artistic vision and Marimekko’s iconic design philosophy.

Simplicity meets vibrant artistry in this 16-piece capsule collection. Seven of Finkenauer’s artworks come to life on ceramics and everyday home textile products. A lively colourful grid embraces coffee cups and trays. While a more minimalistic version creates a canvas for large diamond shapes on mugs, scented candles, kitchen towels and bowls. Soft-cornered rectangles adorn pillow covers and a tablecloth. It is a collection where art and daily life intertwine seamlessly.

Marimekko has a rich tradition of inviting artists and creatives from diverse backgrounds to create bold and colourful prints, which are then transformed into a range of products from dresses to home décor. Artists featured in this series echo Marimekko’s design ethos, which is bold aesthetics and unbridled optimism while providing a fresh lens through which we view art.

At the core of this creative process is the Finnish brand’s own textile printing factory in Helsinki, a playground where artists and designers collaborate with highly skilled craftspeople to create authentic and timeless prints. The latest capsule collection with Sabine Finkenauer is a testament to the concept of this series where each collaboration necessitates custom techniques and special printing methods to honour the artist’s unique imprint.

Born in Rockenhausen, Germany, in 1961, Sabine Finkenauer embarked on her artistic journey at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from 1981 to 1988. She then made the transformative move to Barcelona, where she currently resides and creates. Originally specialising in sculpture, Finkenauer’s work regularly graces galleries and institutions across Europe, the United States and South America. She approaches her art like a symphony, where the composition is crafted through creativity, with simplicity as the ultimate note of belief that genuine beauty lies within its essence. Over the years, this pursuit has evolved into a visual language characterized by simple yet bold shapes inspired by ornamentation and geometry.

At the core of this artist’s acclaimed body of work lies a profound talent for precision in geometry and a rhythmic quality that defines her art and the collection. Her unique ability allows her to effortlessly elevate ordinary subjects and shapes, weaving them into an intricate dance between representation and abstraction. What distinguishes her product designs is its exquisite yet relatable nature, brought to life through vibrant, almost pulsating colours of oil pastels and an array of techniques that imbue her creations with depth and dimension.

Reflecting on her artistic approach, the product designer shares, “My artistic method can be defined as a game whose rules I establish by playing and above all, for simplicity in which I believe the greatest beauty resides. The adaptation of my drawings to objects for domestic use seemed to me as something very natural and opportune since the dialogue with crafts and the theming of the ornament are part of my artistic interest. For me, it has been an extraordinary experience working with Marimekko and knowing that my drawings will shine in many homes accompanying their residents in their daily lives fills me with joy and pride”.

Within Marimekko’s illustrious Artist Series, past collaborations with artists like Virginie Hucher and Landon Metz have left an indelible mark. These partnerships are a testament to the brand’s commitment to artistic exploration. Each collaboration is a unique dialogue between Marimekko’s aesthetic and the innovative perspectives of celebrated artists, resulting in collections that resonate with creative dynamism.

“Marimekko’s unique identity has evolved over the years, straddling the boundaries between art, design, fashion and architecture. Our mission has always been to empower people to find happiness in their own unique selves and bring joy to their daily lives through bold colours and prints. When I first encountered Sabine’s works, I was struck by the striking resemblance to Marimekko’s visual language. Her creations embody a timeless and perfectly imperfect essence, akin to what Marimekko prints are known for. Combined with subtle shapes of Marimekko home products, they become an expression of art in everyday objects, extraordinary in their own right”, Rebekka Bay, Creative Director at Marimekko elaborates on the brand’s philosophy.

The collaboration between Sabine Finkenauer and Marimekko is a beautiful ode to simplicity. It is an affirmation that art can be found in every day, that the fusion of creativity and craftsmanship can elevate the ordinary into the extraordinary. As we embrace the art-infused objects in our lives, we discover that genuine beauty often lies in the simplest of forms.