Woven Strata

Milan Design Week 2026
in Paola Lenti Milano

2026.4.20(Mon) - 26(Sun)

Kawashima Selkon Textiles will be exhibiting at one of the world's largest design event, Milan Design Week, in Milan, Italy, from Monday, April 20 to Sunday, April 26, 2026.

Marking its fifth participation, this year's exhibition is themed "Woven Strata".

Formed through long processes of sedimentation, compression, and uplift, geological strata reveal cross-sections marked by uneven surfaces, granular textures, mineral flecks that shimmer in shifting light, and the rough, cracked surfaces of dried earthen walls.

In this exhibition, Kawashima Selkon Textiles reinterprets these diverse textures shaped by nature's process of sedimentation through highly advanced textile techniques refined over many decades.

Woven Strata

Kyoto, 1843.
From the moment the first thread was woven, Kawashima Selkon Textiles "strata" began to take shape.
Technique, materials, color, and human intention.
Layer upon layer, these strata move between tradition and innovation, leading to the expressions of today.

Milan, 2026.
The thread that began in Kyoto
interweaves inherited techniques with new sensibilities, weaving its 184th layer.

Just as soil accumulates to become solid rock, and threads overlap to form cloth that reflects light,
we too have layered technique and intention over time.
This accumulation shapes the present and extends into the layers of the future.

MATERIAL

The Two Meanings Embedded in the Theme "Woven Strata"

1. Strata of Earth x Strata of Thread

Just as geological strata and ore are formed through the accumulation of layers over long periods of time, textiles, too, are created through the layering of threads, embodying traces of time. By overlapping the natural layering of strata with the layered construction of textiles, this exhibition seeks to make visible the otherwise intangible flow and accumulation of time.

2. The "sedimentation" of weaving techniques since the company's founding in 1843

Since its founding, Kawashima Selkon Textiles has continuously built upon its weaving techniques, forming its own "strata of craftsmanship." From powerful handwoven Tsuzureori tapestry artworks to delicate and luminous textiles incorporating silk and gold threads, mother-of-pearl, and film, as well as practical machine-woven works that pursue realistic textures, the exhibition presents over 180 years of accumulated expertise and experimentation through a diverse range of woven expressions.

ART DIRECTOR

Izumi Okayasu

MESSAGE

“Sedimentation” refers to the natural process by which soil, sand, and organic matter accumulate in places where the transporting force of water or wind has weakened. Over immense spans of time, this process forms strata and sedimentary rock. These strata and rocks are eventually revealed before our eyes by powerful forces such as crustal movements, erosion by water, or excavation. Once exposed, they again undergo gradual erosion by rain and weathering by wind over time. When we encounter a cross-section of strata or sedimentary rock, we are often witnessing a moment within this ongoing process.

The exhibition brings together textiles crafted around the theme of “sedimentation” and is conceived as a landscape that evokes the slow erosion and weathering of what has been exposed. Within this landscape, we invite visitors to experience the diversity of techniques as well as the artistry of weaving on display, and to carry these impressions with them as lasting memories.

PROFILE

Lighting Designer / Born in 1972, Kanagawa, Japan / President of Izumi Okayasu Lighting Design Office

Izumi Okayasu works across all aspects of lighting design, including lighting planning for architectural and commercial spaces, lighting fixture design, and installations, both in Japan and internationally. Past projects include lighting design for Jun Aoki's White Church, the exhibition "TOYO ITO: GENERATIVE ORDER", Kengo Kuma's Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, and Riken Yamamoto's Namics Techno Core, as well as numerous installations for exhibitions such as Milan Design Week.
https://www.ismidesign.com/

OVERVIEW

Theme: Woven Strata
The Rough, the Shimmer, the Grit
- Reimagining strata, minerals, and earth through woven textiles
Dates: April 20 (Mon) - 26 (Sun), 2026 April 20 (Mon)15:00 - 19:00 April 21 (Tue) - 25 (Sat)10:00 - 21:00 April 26 (Sun)10:00 - 19:00
Venue: Paola Lenti Milano
https://www.paolalenti-milano.it/en/
Address: Via Giovanni Bovio, 28, 20159 Milano MI, Italy