Bienvenue Studios is a design unit based in Zurich, Switzerland. Inspired by nature, the graphic designs created by Xiaoqun Wu and Oliver Hischier are known for their uniquely Swiss respect for natural formations and careful attention to texture. In April 2021, we released our first collaboration product from an exchange with SIRI SIRI designer Naho Okamoto, who is based in Switzerland. We asked them about their production concept, which is particular about printing techniques and paper.

Sawako Fukai (hereafter Fukai): Hello! how are you? How is the city of Zurich?

Oliver & Wu (Bienvenue Studios): Hello! I think things have improved a lot here. From last week, the shops in the city have also opened, and the restaurant has also started business on the terrace. The city is coming to life again.

Fukai: The beauty of Switzerland in May is exceptional. How have you been spending your time during lockdown? Oliver: I was trying to make good use of the sudden amount of time I had, but since we're doing client work in addition to the artwork, it's true that the whole scene came to a standstill. But now I can feel the signs of movement again.

Fukai: I see. This time, SIRI SIRI and Bienvenue Studios have announced the first collaboration scarf, and at the same time, Bienvenue Studios' printed works are being exhibited at SIRI SIRI's own store in Akasaka, Tokyo. I asked you a little bit on IGTV the other day, but today I would like to ask you again about your production. First of all, about "biophilic design" as a design concept. I haven't been able to find a perfect Japanese translation for it, so it's still an unfamiliar word.

Oliver: I think it's a relatively new word even in Europe. You will always be asked for an explanation. It is a hypothesis that I came across while doing research in graduate school, and that "human beings have an innate instinct to seek connection with nature" as part of the natural system. A lot of research has already been done on this "biophilic". The simple theory is that people feel better and are more productive when they are surrounded by nature. It is being put to practical use in architectural and spatial design projects that use water and plants. We are experimenting and verifying how to apply it to graphics. Is it possible to create a psychological effect that makes you feel nature with not only the objects drawn graphically such as stones and plants, but also colors, materials, textures, and such elements?

Fukai: I see. I just heard that this view of nature has something in common with Japanese architecture and design. Even in classical architecture, it is common to use light and natural scenes as part of it. Both of you have visited Japan many times and have a deep knowledge of Japanese culture. Since when have you been interested in Japan?

Oliver: I don't know how long ago... Before I knew it, I had a longing for Japan. It may be because I watched a lot of Ghibli movies. The buildings and gardens you see in movies are all different from Switzerland. When I traveled to Japan for the first time, it felt like I was in a dreamland. I was thrilled to be able to actually touch and feel what I had imagined. In addition, while traveling to various places in Japan, Japanese architecture and design, for example, there are community houses like tenement houses, and in Naoshima, etc., the houses in the village are arranged in the same shape to control the flow of the wind and create a natural atmosphere. I was impressed by how they have lived close to the nature of the land, such as creating a cooling system.

Fukai: What about Mr. Wu?

Wu: I have always been interested in drawing and art since I was a child, and Japanese culture was familiar to me growing up in Shanghai. I used to watch anime such as "Chibi Maruko-chan" on a daily basis. Japanese and Chinese aesthetics have a lot in common. A sense of color, how to use space and margins. How to feel the beauty there. I think it's a kind of language because it's more sensory based on experience than logical. Fukai: I see. I also love Studio Ghibli, but one of its uniqueness is the animistic idea that runs through every work, and nature is depicted with awe as a frightening thing. That's why the beauty and the experience beyond imagination falls on the hero.

Oliver: Ghibli has an overwhelming respect for nature.

Fukai: This animistic view of nature is familiar to Japanese and Chinese people, but when I lived in Europe, I realized that it was quite different from the European view of nature. What is your relationship with nature? How do you get inspired by nature?

Wu: China is huge, and the cities are big, so if you want to feel nature in Shanghai, you have to plan your trip quite well. When I was a child, I didn't see the sea or the mountains, and the only parks I could find were man-made urban parks with playground equipment. But after moving here, you can go to lakes and mountains in less than an hour, hike with friends, cook, and enjoy nature. It's very peaceful and you can feel a lot of energy.

Oliver: When I was a child, I was always in the mountains, so I thought it was natural, but when I grew up and started living in the city, I began to crave nature. Nevertheless, Zurich offers opportunities to feel nature even in everyday life. Gardening is a common practice in each household, and the design of buildings and the entire area takes advantage of the vegetation. For example, even in a devastated area, greening from a long-term perspective will increase the habitat of insects and birds.

Fukai: I see. In Zurich, it's possible to have a lifestyle where you can always feel close to nature. This is also the source of inspiration for the two of them, and it is a concept that they want people to feel close to nature and to look at the connection with nature through graphic design. It also applies to Because humans are part of nature.

Oliver: Right. Our goal is not to scream out loud that nature is in pain, please save us, but to make people appreciate nature and fall in love with it through our works.

Fukai: Sustainability is always part of creativity.

Oliver: Right. Isn't there a lot of progress in consciousness reform in the last few years? It's one step at a time, but I think that what we notice today will lead to big changes when we look back.

Fukai: Let's get back to the story. Your work is based on careful research.

Wu: Yes. Inspiration comes from various places, whether traveling or in everyday life, and we conduct thorough research to back it up. I often go to museums during the production process. I research the diversity of the motifs themselves, see similar works inspired by nature, and refer to research on them.

Oliver: Expressing diversity through research is important to our designs. That's why our Small Print Collection always uses multiple graphics per type. No two butterflies, beetles, or stones are the same. In particular, I have been interested in animals and plants since I was a child, to the point that I was torn between becoming a biologist or a designer, so I have a strong interest in the harmony between animals, plants and humans.

Fukai: The motifs, colors that are characteristic of the works, and the poetic titles of the works are also wonderful.

Wu: Those elements are determined during the research process. Color is just as important as design. I decide for each motif, and the color itself has its own meaning and story. Even with just one color, I go through countless tests, choosing colors that have political meaning, or colors that are symbols of some kind, such as skin tones or warnings. The title is... I try to be as poetic as possible (laughs).

Oliver: Among the many series, there are series that we personally like very much but are not so popular. I think it's very important to send out.

Wu: SIRI SIRI's (Okamoto) Naho says that if you create something that you think is good from the bottom of your heart, it will live forever, and I strongly sympathize with that. Our goal is that the series we create will still be good 10 or 20 years from now.

Fukai: I think great design is always very personal. In addition, in this modern age where things are saturated and marketed, I think that the mental effect of wearing or seeing something designed by someone you know or trust is immeasurable. . Oh, I really wanted you to come to Japan! But someday, the time will come when we can meet our fans again in Japan. Until then, let's do another collaboration!

Interview & Written by Sawako Fukai (SIRI SIRI Director)

Bienvenue Studios
Bienvenue Studios, a design unit consisting of Xiaoqun Wu and Oliver Hischier, is based in Zurich and creates graphic designs with inspiration from nature. We are also particular about printing techniques and paper, and create many beautiful products based on respect for natural forms and a polite perspective on texture.

Cooperation: PAPIER LABO. , Onoda

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April 2021 <Bienvenue Studios> and SIRI SIRI will release two types of silk scarves as their first collaboration.

・Bienvenue Studios × SIRI SIRI Scarf PRAYING HANDS

・Bienvenue Studios × SIRI SIRI Scarf GENTLE KNIFE

In commemoration of the release, the works of <Bienvenue Studios> are being exhibited and sold at the SIRI SIRI Akasaka store until May 30th (Sun). You can see many items such as framed original prints and work collections. In addition, Bienvenue Studios × onoda's 100% organic cotton towels made with a unique weaving method at a workshop in southern Osaka will be sold for a limited time only during the exhibition in the SIRI SIRI package. Please enjoy it.

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SIRI SIRI SHOP
〒107-0052
Room 102, Akasaka Nanabankan, 7-6-41 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-6821-7771
info@sirisiri.jp