“PIXEL WEAVE,” an art rug featuring the world-renowned painting Mona Lisa, is a unique piece that blends traditional igusa weaving techniques with digital pixel expression. Designed by textile designer Hana Mitsui (Hana Lab Mitsui), the work is crafted with Japanese grown igusa and woven meticulously to create a striking visual effect. Mona Lisa appears clearly from a distance, while up close, the intricate texture formed by countless pixels becomes visible. The piece measures 88 cm × 176 cm, the size of a standard “Edoma” tatami mat.
This innovative work received the Silver Award at the Fukuoka Design Award 2025. Out of 222 participating companies, 50 were selected as finalists, and only 10 including PIXEL WEAVE were honored with the Silver Award. The piece was highly praised for its fresh approach of combining a traditional natural material with a digital perspective. As Ms. Mitsui was unable to attend the event, IKEHIKO presented on her behalf.
PIXEL WEAVE is also currently on display at the Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design as part of the exhibition “DESIGN with FOCUS: Designer’s Adventure”, which highlights experimental works by contemporary creators. The exhibition is open until January 25, 2026 (Mon).
Bringing together tradition and contemporary design, PIXEL WEAVE represents an exciting new direction for the future possibilities of igusa.
Textile designer Hana Mitsui’s Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/hana.mitsui/