FUSUMA, Georg Jensen Damask's latest design, is the result of a fortunate cultural encounter where Asiatic traditions meet Nordic and create a point of contact where the sparks really fly. Designer Rika Kawato, born in 1981, is the daughter of a Danish mother and a Japanese father, and this influence from two such widely differing cultures has always been a fundamental element of Rika's work as a designer, as can also be seen in her FUSUMA tablecloth.
A sense of the three-dimensional
Lightness and depth, virtual transparency, the combination of right angles and soft shapes: together, these form an almost three-dimensional effect in the FUSUMA tablecloth. This effect has also been unusually difficult to achieve. Georg Jensen Damask has had to think along very untraditional lines as regards techniques, and Rika's inquisitiveness has been something of a driving force in this regard.
Rika Kawato took as her starting point the drawings in a book showing the interior of a typical old Japanese house. A beautiful traditional sliding door was just one of the things in this house that captured Rika's attention. A thin grid of wood was applied on top of a hand-printed pattern which played with light and shadow, giving it a hint of transparency and dynamism. She attempted to transfer this feel to the fabric; and the result is a tablecloth which is very sophisticated and very unique. This tablecloth is quite unlike anything else in the Georg Jensen Damask range. FUSUMA, as the tablecloth was named, is the Japanese word for a sliding door.
The Danish connection
Rika Kawato has long been keen on the notion of designing for Georg Jensen Damask, and she approached the company herself, clutching a bundle of drawings. She grew up with damask tablecloths and has often admired the fine old weave. Indeed, she had plenty of opportunity to do so when the family all got together for traditional Danish Christmas celebrations with her grandmother in Odense. She has previously created both a sofa and textile design for Erik Jørgensen, and otherwise she has mainly created textiles for Asiatic companies such as Sony and a number of car manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda since completing her studies at the Rhode Island School of Design. After spending her formative years living with her family in places as diverse as Moscow, Stockholm, Tokyo and Boston, Rika is now permanently based in Tokyo.
Using the colours of nature as inspiration
This damask tablecloth is available in two colours. Morning Grey, which reminds Rika of mellow Danish mornings, and Midnight Blue, which is the shade of the moonlight as it floods in through the window.
FUSUMA is available in various standard lengths with a width of 165 cm and costs from DKK 1090 for the 165 x 165 cm size. Runners in Midnight Blue are available from DKK 420 each, and place mats at a cost of DKK 150 each. Matching napkins in both colours are available at a cost of DKK 95 each.
FUSUMA is available from Georg Jensen Damask profile stores all over Denmark, and it will be available to buy online at damask.dk from week 40. Call +45 7552 2700 for information about the nearest retailer.
For more information, photographs and samples, please contact Maria Rasmussen at mr@mannov.dk , tel. +45 2715 7086, or Dorthe Thomsen at dot@damask.dk , tel. +45 7633 3641.