Cooper Hewitt says...
Marjatta Metsovaara (1927-2014) was a Finnish textile designer and businesswoman, and a major figure in Scandanavian design in the mid to late 20th century, with a career that spanned several decades. After graduating from the Helsinki Institute of Industrial Arts in 1949, she launched her own textile company, Metsovaara Oy, in 1954. Along with her contemporaries Maija Isola and Armi Ratia, founder of Marimekko, she helped establish a new international demand for bold, eye-catching Finnish-designed patterns. Metsovaara's style varied from patterns composed of organic forms in highly saturated colors to subdued neutral tones. She created both printed and woven textiles, and by 1967 she was designing for ten mills in Finland and overseas. Through the course of her life she maintained her own design firm and weaving mill in Urjala, Finland, but also designed for numerous other companies, including Villanytyma, Finnrya, Finn-Fare, La Havere, United Wool, Green & Green, Jack Lenor Larsen, Vallila, and, most notably, Tampella.
Metsovaara was active over several decades, producing a diverse body of work that is often difficult to categorize, including fabrics for fashion, domestic and commercial interiors, tablewares, carpets, and art pieces. Metsovaara Oy continued production until it was sold in the 1980s. During her lifetime Metsovaara was awarded a Milan Triennale award, the Signe d'Or Industriel, and the Pro Finland Medal. The demand for her bold textiles continues, as evidenced by the fabrics that appear again and again in auction listings, as well as a number of Vallila prints that have been recently reproduced for a modern market.
