In 2021, just after the pandemic, I could finally travel again. During that time, I fell deeply in love with the work of Alvar Aalto and his country, Finland. With my ticket in hand, I was also supposed to meet with the brand Marimekko for a collaboration, but it never happened in the end. A shame? I haven’t lost hope—I know these designs are still relevant and could also adapt to other houses or partners. No matter. Today, I wanted to revisit a series of drawings and paintings I made on site or after my return. It was the seaside landscapes that moved me most: the relationship between the liquid surface and the verticality of the trees. A visual rhythm. A graphic score.
I had fun recreating a few of them for you and also showing you the possible variations. They seem endless.
For the first ones, I used MUJI’s brush pens. I especially love the flexibility of their tips—both precise and soft, offering a wide range of textures with a single tool. The sketchbooks also come from MUJI, but you can find paper of similar quality from other shops and manufacturers.
Here come some variations with colors.
