Aoi Yoshizawa on weaving together textile communities

For the past 17 years, Designer Aoi Yoshizawa has lived in the Nordics, drawing inspiration from the serene sea- and landscapes of Nordic nature in her art. This fall, her journey took her to the bustling city of New York, and despite the city’s stark contrast to Finland, Aoi has found no shortage of inspiration in her new surroundings.

Our Designer-in-Residence during September and October, Aoi Yoshizawa, first came to the Nordic countries in 2004 when she moved from Japan to Sweden for an exchange program. She studied arts and textile crafts for two years in Sweden before moving to Norway to study Textile Arts at the Bergen National Academy of the Arts (Khib). Another exchange program soon took her to Aalto University in Finland, where she eventually earned her Master’s Degree in Textile Art and Design. Now Finland has been Aoi’s home for 12 years, as she’s fallen in love with the Nordic lifestyle and the proximity to nature.

Aoi works with pattern design and designing textile products while simultaneously exploring her artistic practice of handweaving. She started out making small tapestry artworks, but her art has grown in size over time. After being chosen for the Helsinki International Artist Programme (HIAP) artist residency, she was provided with a bigger studio, which led to her woven artworks growing to the point of Aoi having to make her own, bigger looms. Aoi tells us:

“I’m a really space-oriented person. Space, landscapes, and seascapes inspire me both in my artistic practice and when designing textile products. In this way, my artwork has kind of evolved into installations”.

And while on the subject of inspiration, Aoi says: 

“Visual elements, like lights and the changing colors of the skies and the seas, inspire me a lot. Natural elements can be so dramatic and inspiring, like fresh air after it has rained. I like to capture these atmospheric moments in my art.”

Aoi’s interests also extend into the technical aspects of weaving and how so much can be done with one simple tool. After university, she interned at the Svensson weaving mill in Sweden where she worked in the design department that was located within the factory. There, she learned about industrial weaving and how programming is used in industrial looms.

“I don’t know if people will agree with me on this, but I realized that handweaving and industrial weaving mechanisms are quite similar, which is quite amazing. This traditional, ancient way of weaving is still used today in industrial weaving, which made me want to look further into ancient handweaving techniques”, she says.

Aoi mentions backstrap looms as an example. The lightweight mobile loom is made of wood and a strap, which is wrapped around the back and only needs to be attached to a tree or a post for stability and to provide tension. With this simple technology, almost anyone can own a backstrap loom and set it up almost anywhere. This kind of loom has been used in many areas of Asia and Scandinavia and is still commonly used in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru, to mention a few.

Photos of Aoi’s previous work:

1. Solo exhibition “B/LOOM !” (documentation), Gallery Lennätin, Helsinki 2023
2. Studio view at HIAP artist residency, 2023
3. “Warp Weighted Loom” (working process at HIAP artist residency), 2023
4. Solo exhibition “B/LOOM !” (installation view), Gallery Lennätin, Helsinki, 2023

Exploring the contrasts between the Finnish and American textile world

“When I first came to New York, it was a bit of a shock. Everything was so loud and chaotic, and I’m used to more isolated and quiet places after living in Suomenlinna and having my studio on the island of Harakka. Once I got used to it, I started enjoying it more, and now I think it’s amazing. There are so many opportunities here, and it’s so easy to get to know new people”, Aoi tells us about her time in New York.

“I like the cultural diversity here, too. Nobody ever asks me where I am from,” she adds with a laugh. “In Finland, I kind of stand out, but here I blend in more.”

When asked about the disparities in the textile scene between New York and Finland, Aoi tells us that the textile arts scene is much more prominent here and that people here seem to be more aware of textile materials in art, and more experimental in their techniques, combining textiles with other materials. While underscoring that Finland also has a great textile scene and long-lasting textile traditions, she says it’s something she hasn’t seen as much in Finland. During her time In New York, Aoi also took the opportunity to immerse herself in the vibrant textile community of New York, notably at the Textile Arts Center, where she delved into natural dyeing classes. She explains how these classes have fueled her inspiration:

“I felt very lucky to have the opportunity to learn the techniques of natural dyeing in such a great facility as the Textile Arts Center, and with such a great teacher. You may wonder if New York really is the best place to learn natural dyeing techniques, since it’s such an urban environment, but I found that it was the very right place for this. There are so many natural dye enthusiasts in this city, and New York has a lot of parks and hidden nature spots that are perfect for natural dye studies. I even visited a farm in North Folk where they grow plants and flowers as supplies for natural dyeing.”

She adds:

“I’ve met a lot of entrepreneurs here who have learned to make a business out of their art, holding workshops, teaching kids about textiles, and things like that. I find this very inspiring. They are doers who seize opportunities to share their knowledge about textiles with their community, and this spirit and way of working is something I want to take back with me to Finland. I want to spread textiles to the world.” 

Riding the wave of New York Textile Month

September was marked by textile art, as New York Textile Month occurred during that month. Aoi tells us this was a big reason why she wanted to apply to the FCINY residency in the first place:

“The whole month of September was amazing. There was so much happening in the world of textile art and design, and I met so many people and attended many open studios, exhibitions, and lectures. I think I went to more events during my time in New York than I usually go during a whole year. It was very intense and inspiring.”

As a part of New York Textile Month, Aoi also had an exhibition at the Finnish Cultural Institute’s office in SoHo. At the one-day exhibition, she presented her own custom looms from her long-term project “I AM A WEAVER” - an artistic research and technical experiment in hand weaving, where she’s investigating traditional weaving methods and reinterpreting them into contemporary practices. She also exhibited her design work from collaborations with various companies, such as the Finnish textile company Lapuan Kankurit.

“I’m delighted I had so many visitors at the exhibition and it felt so magical to connect with so many people through the language of textiles. I think there is a strong network in the textile arts world here. I’m also glad I did the exhibition early in the residency because that left time to visit and get to know the people I met there”, Aoi says.

What’s next for Aoi?

Now that she is back in Finland, Aoi is preparing for her new exhibition that is happening in May 2024 at the HAA Gallery in Helsinki. It will include her 8-meter-long loom installation. To conclude her residency experience with us here in New York, Aoi tells us:

“My time in New York has been so amazing and I’m incredibly grateful for the people who made my stay so special and unforgettable. Initially, I was scared I would feel lonely in such a big city, but that never happened. I met so many talented, welcoming artists and it was very inspiring to see how they work and develop their artistic practices. We connected through the language of textiles, especially through discussions about looms. I also really like the go-getter, doer attitude that is present here, it’s very motivating. It has made me think a lot about both my career and personal life, and I’ve gotten so many ideas on how to evolve my artistic- and design practice. I am very excited to start exploring these ideas back in Finland. This experience definitely gave me a big kick to continue doing what I love, and if I could, I would have loved to stay longer.”

If you want to see more of Aoi and her work and upcoming projects, you can follow her instagram here, visit her website here and follow FCINY’s socials here.