Kustaa Saksi

He has always been fascinated by the human brain, especially its capacity to process sensory information in new and unexpected ways. Saksi crafts a unique graphic storytelling by experimenting with different media and modes of expression, often through pattern design, spatial installations, and illustrations, but also, as shown here, through large-scale Jacquard textiles.

This exhibition delves deep into Saksi’s influential textile art from the past decade. He finds great value in the endless possibilities of working with yarn. He begins by sketching a design, which he then brings to the weaving experts at TextielLab in Tilburg, the Netherlands. Using software, the figures and colors from the sketch are translated into a complex weave of specific textures, which he achieves by combining traditional materials like wool, cotton, or silk, with unconventional elements such as rubber and copper.

The Jacquard loom, invented by Joseph-Marie Jacquard in early 19th century France, enabled the automated production of intricate, complex patterns. The historical Jacquard loom, controlled by punch cards, was itself an early model for modern computers. Today, the computer-controlled Jacquard weaving process allows for rapid adjustments, and Saksi has occasionally referred to his process as “action painting with warp and weft.”

Kustaa Saksi (b. 1975 in Kouvola, Finland, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands) trained as a graphic designer at the Lahti Institute of Design. He has exhibited at for example the Design Museum in Helsinki, the V&A in London, and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in NYC, and has done commissions for fashion houses like Hermès, Ferragamo, Issey Miyake, Nike, and Marimekko. Saksi has been selected as the Guest Creative for the Stockholm Furniture Fair 2025 and has created the fair’s visual identity.

The exhibition is a collaboration with the Design Museum in Helsinki.

Scenography: Lauri Johansson, graphic design: Stefan Engblom, soundscape: Marko Nyberg, film: David Verbeek

Thanks to: Tore G Wärenstam Foundation, Swedish Arts Council, Region Jönköping County, Värnamo Municipality, Vandalorum’s Partners: Hamrin, Liljedahl, Svenstig

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Exhibition images by Patrik Lindell / Vandalorum}