MAORI KIMURA
木村 茉央里
Textile & Product Designer
Sustainable objects with playful structure
Maori Kimura is an Amsterdam (NL)-based designer exploring the potential of materials through playful experimentation with techniques, textures, structures, and colour. Moving between functionality and aesthetics, she creates tactile and expressive forms that spark curiosity and bring a sense of playfulness to everyday life.
After graduating from Tama Art University in Tokyo with a BA in Textile Design, she worked for seven years as a textile and bag designer at ISSEY MIYAKE.
In 2019, she visited Dutch Design Week, where she was drawn to the experimental and material-driven approaches to design she encountered, which later inspired her to move to the Netherlands. To broaden the possibilities of material and technical expression, she also studied glassblowing and ceramics in Denmark.
In 2022, she founded MAORI KIMURA DESIGN STUDIO in the Netherlands. Her practice focuses on material and surface design, developing work across different scales, from accessories and objects to furniture and spatial installations.
アムステルダム(NL)を拠点に活動するデザイナー。素材の可能性に着目し、技法や質感、構造、色彩を遊び心のある実験を通して探求しています。機能性と表現性を行き来しながら、好奇心を刺激し、日常に楽しさをもたらす触覚的で表情豊かなかたちを生み出します。
多摩美術大学でテキスタイルデザインを学び、卒業後はISSEY MIYAKEにて7年間、テキスタイルおよびバッグデザイナーとして勤務。
2019年にDutch Design Weekを訪れ、そこで出会った実験的かつ素材を起点としたデザインアプローチに惹かれたことをきっかけに、後にオランダへ移住。素材や技術的な表現の可能性を広げるため、デンマークでガラスと陶芸を学ぶ。
2022年、オランダにてMAORI KIMURA DESIGN STUDIOを設立。現在はマテリアルとサーフェスデザインを軸に、アクセサリーやオブジェから家具、空間インスタレーションまで、異なるスケールを横断する表現を展開しています。
Career / Education
2025 May-July Design Academy NOVA - A fashion design education programme co-hosted by Zalando SE and VORN eG - The Berlin Fashion Hub / Berlin, DE2023 Oct–2024 Apr Design Academy Eindhoven – Pre-Master Course (part-time) / Eindhoven, NL2022 Aug- Present MAORI KIMURA DESIGN STUDIO / Rotterdam(2022-2024), Amsterdam(2025-), NL2022 Jan–Jun Bornholms Højskole (Folk High School) / Bornholm, Denmark2014 - 2021 Accessory and Textile Designer at ISSEY MIYAKE INC. / Tokyo, JP2012 BA in Department of Product and Textile Design, Textile Design Course, Tama Art University / Tokyo, JPEXHIBITION / EVENT
2026 Sep 10-14 Paris Design Week 2026 Factory - at Espace Comminies / Paris, FR
2026 Sep 6 KASANE Design Fair / Rotterdam, NL
2026 Jun- 2027 Apr MIST! Rethinking Textile Waste at Textile Centre Haslach / Haslach, AT
2026 Feb 4-6 LIFE×DESIGN by Tokyo International Gift Show -at Tokyo Big Sight / Tokyo, JP
2025 Dec 19 Friday Night LIVE at Kunsthal Rotterdam / Rotterdam, NL [Fringe Friends]2025 Oct 18-26 Dutch Design Week 2025 - HOW&WOW by Crafts Council Nederland / Eindhoven, NL at De Fabriek [Fringe Friends]2025 Sep 26 DenkProducties - at Amsterdam Business Forum with THIS IS FREE FASHION / Amsterdam, NL [Fringe Friends]
2025 Sep 21-22 GRAW 2025 – Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend 2025 / Rotterdam, NL [Fringe Friends]2025 Jul 17,18, Aug 16 THIS IS FREE FASHION at Rotterdam Central Station / Rotterdam, NL [Fringe Friends] 2025 May 25 Design Fair 2025 at Nieuwe Instituut / Rotterdam, NL [Fringe Friends]2025 Mar 29- Apr 19 F-ART COLOR MATTERS! at Mishmash Gallery / Rotterdam, NL [Fringe Friends, ORIFORI TEXTILE] 2025 Mar 13 Opening Event of Systemiq / Amsterdam, NL [Fringe Friends]2025 Feb 14-16 OBJECT ROTTERDAM 2025 / Rotterdam, NL [Fringe Friends]2024 Oct 19-27 Dutch Design Week 2024 / Eindhoven, NL at Piet Hein Eek [Fringe Friends]2024 Sep 13-15 MONO JAPAN FAIR 2024 / Rotterdam, NL [ORIFORI TEXTILE]2024 Sep 21-22 GRAW 2024 – Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend 2024/ Rotterdam, NL2024 Jul 13 VERSATILE ACADEMY POP-UP EXPO / Rotterdam, NL [Fringe Friends]2023 Sep 16-17 GRAW 2023 – Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend 2023 / Rotterdam, NL2023 Mar 21 – May 14 The Art of September / Amsterdam, NL [Floating Color]2014 Aug 10-13 The 6th International Meeting on Origami in Science, Mathematics, and Education / Tokyo, JP [POP-UP PATTERN]2013 Apr 8-14 Contemporary Japanese Design + Asobi Japan Creation 100 at Salone del Mobile. Milano / Milan, IT [POP-UP PATTERN]2013 Apr 11-30 SIFEC International Student Fashion Design Expo 2013, part of Shanghai Fashion Week / Shanghai, CHN [POP-UP PATTERN]2010 Dec 28-30 HANDMADE IN JAPAN AWARD by Creema / Düsseldorf, DE [With book]PRESS / PUBLICATIONS
2026 Aug Textile Plus - No.277
2026 May vtwonen DESIGN -Design Issue 4 [page]
2026 Mar ELLE Decoration NL - Spring Issue
2026 Jan Intramuros Magazine # 226 Amazing! - Featured in the DESIGN 360 section
2025 Mar JAN & JAN Living April 2025 “Verfrissend design – Meubelmonsterties” [Fringe Friends] [page]
2024 Dec MIX Magazine by Colour Hive Issue 78 (2026/27) “New Issue” Surface section [Fringe Friends]
2024 Nov SHE IS COOL collective portfolio [page]
2024 Oct RESIDENCE ”Dutch Design Week 2024: These talents caught our eye”
2024 Oct dezeen “Six statement furniture projects by rising stars from the Dutch design scene”
2023 May FASHION TREND Web Magazine – Client work featured for PUZZLE, a cryptic fashion brand blending mystery and wearable storytelling.
2015 Sep Un nouvel art du pli Guillaume; Genevaux, Chloe; Trebbi, Jean-Charles Bounoure- [POP-UP PATTERN]
AWARDS
2012 Shimanto Newspaper bag -free category- [Swaying Pleats Bag]
2012 MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL JUNIOR DESIGNER AWARD 2012 Nominated [POP-UP PATTERN]
2012 Got a prise university’s final exhibition [POP-UP PATTERN]
2011 Kamiwaza(Paper craft) award [Bloom coaster]
CONFERENCE / LECTURE
2025 Mar Guest speaker at Sense Laboratory / Tokyo, JP (online)
2024 Jul Lecture at NEMO SABO Amstelveen / Amsterdam, NL
2024 Jun Department of Architecture Aichi Institute of Technology/ Nagoya, JP (online)
2014 Aug The 6th International Meeting on Origami in Science, Mathematics and Education/ Tokyo, JP
2013 Jan Department of Architecture Aichi Institute of Technology/ Nagoya, JP