On 19 June, the exhibition “LIVING/ROOM” by Marit Ilison will open in the gallery of the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design. The exhibition presents Ilison’s creative work from the past decade, during which her focus has shifted from fashion design to spatial, interior, and environmental design.

Internationally acclaimed conceptual fashion designer Marit Ilison has in recent years concentrated on interior design solutions, product development, and creative direction. For her, a garment is a person’s first space, and her move toward designing interiors and holistic environments has been a natural continuation of her creative journey.

In her spatial practice, the artist seeks to highlight so-called “non-places” and apparent imperfections, transforming the negative aspects of a space into positive qualities within practical projects. This process resembles the creation of a site-specific installation: it requires careful attention to the space itself, while also taking into account the client’s expectations and the constraints of the project.

“LIVING/ROOM” brings together both objects designed by Ilison and historical pieces, most of which have been further developed specifically for the exhibition. The pattern “Waterlily”, created at Marit Ilison Creative Atelier in 2018, has evolved through several collections and found its way into interior textiles. The pattern of the rug “Wild Peonies” is also derived from the coat pattern of “Longing For Sleep”, a collection represented in the ETDM collection. The display cabinet draws on a typology that was widespread decades ago. The lighting series “Enchanted Blossoms” is an evolving collection inspired by medicinal plants, in which each new element grows out of the original source. By imitating a plant, each luminaire carries forward the symbolic power traditionally attributed to it.

As visitors can sense throughout the exhibition, the values most important to Marit Ilison are beauty, meaning, and emotion – the poetry of creation itself.

Marit Ilison is an interdisciplinary artist and designer whose primary interest lies in the relationship between the body and space. She has created fashion collections, site-specific installations, costumes, music, exhibition designs, and stage sets, and works on a daily basis together with her brother, Peeter Ilison, under the name Peeter Ilison Creative Atelier. Ilison has designed the interiors of Lore Bistroo, Päris Resto, UMA, and others. Her accolades include Vogue Talent and Success Story recognition, the International Fashion Showcase Award Grand Prix, the SÄSI Young Designer Award, and the Kristjan Raud Art Award. Since 2024, Marit Ilison has served as the resident artist of the Tallinn City Theatre.