MILAN — Maharam, the artful New York-based textiles firm, has unveiled “Beyond and Midair” a collection of designs by artist Jacob Hashimoto. The new collection marks the first set of woven textiles designed with the New York-based multimedia creative. Hashimoto is a longtime Maharam digital projects collaborator.
Maharam, which is known for its holistic approach and collaborations with design icons like Alvar Aalto, was founded in 1902. The firm is a leader in textiles for commercial and residential interiors. Its designs are included in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, among others.
“Jacob’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional disciplines and techniques made extending our collaboration to woven textiles so natural,” said Mary Murphy, Maharam’s senior vice president of design.
“His ambitious approach to layering, movement and space presented a unique opportunity to accomplish something new with woven textiles,” Murphy added.
In the 1940s, Maharam was known as a source for theatrical textiles for costume and set design and evolved into a pioneer of performance-driven textiles for commercial interiors in the ‘60s.
The company said Hashimoto worked closely with the design studio to develop two distinct textile patterns that reflect the characteristic materiality and intricacy of his past installations. The collection references Hashimoto’s sculptures composed of kites hung in rhythmic arrangements for animated impact. Circular motifs woven with botanical, ceramic, technological, and geometric references are also evidenced within the lineup.
Hashimoto is a graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and has seen his work featured in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome (MACRO), among others.