Anna Danielsson

Works by the Swedish textile designer Anna Danielsson have been included in the Marimekko collections since the spring of 2001. Among other products, Danielsson has designed furnishing fabrics, kitchen and bathroom products and bags.

Anna Danielsson, how did you become a textile designer?
When I was young, I felt a great need to express myself in ways such as drawing and acting. Later, when I was introduced to the techniques of fabric printing in art school, I realised immediately that this was my language, my way of expressing myself.

Where do you find inspiration for your patterns?
This work actually involves a continuous search for inspiration. The essential thing is to remain open to one’s surroundings. I am a collector, continually gathering all kinds of things and objects that might prove to be “useful” in my work. Literature is one of my sources of inspiration. I love books and I collect books on subjects such as design, art, architecture, African masks, the tattoos of different cultures, plants…

What is your typical way of working?
I always work in the scale of the finished fabric to get the right idea about distances and forms and the spaces and rhythm between them.

How would you describe your style as a textile designer?
That’s a hard question. Expressive.

What do you think are the most important qualities of a designer?
An open mind and inquisitiveness are important traits. I admire dedicated artists and craftspeople with imagination, energy and solid professional skills.

Where would you like to see textiles designed by you?
In public spaces. Places where people do not expect to see patterns and where textiles form a whole together with their surrounding space.

What does the word Marimekko bring to your mind?
For me, the word Marimekko means colour, space and power. It brings to mind history and future.

How does it feel to work for Marimekko?
The best thing is the great artistic freedom that I have. Moreover, people at Marimekko are highly skilled professionals and I have great respect for all those who participate in making fabrics in the different stages of the production process.

What do you want to communicate with the fabrics that you have designed for Marimekko?
Through my designs, I want to transmit my passion for patterns, their construction, the endless possibility to link parts together and make a total impression. A fabric’s effect on its surroundings fascinates me. I try to give each pattern a life of its own: temperament, temperature and rhythm.

What is the most important thing in your work?
To keep an open mind. I try not to restrict my own ability to see and express things.

What do you dream of in your life?
I seek satisfaction in everyday life. Professionally, I would like to be able to combine my work as a designer with teaching textile design. And naturally I dream of being able to spend as much time as possible with my family.

What makes you happy?
Small everyday things, like watching my four-year-old daughter learning the alphabet and writing a letter to her friend.