When dining at Hawaii’s only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes 5-Star restaurant La Mer, patrons may be curious about the Asian décor in the Neo-Classic French restaurant.
The décor was inspired by the “East of the Sun” mural designed by Ilonka Karasz (1896-1981), a Hungarian-American designer and illustrator, known for her avant-garde industrial textile designs.
The mural features peacocks and doves lounging on pebbled and tiled terraces of an oriental garden, richly textured with foliage and a lotus pond. This print was produced on linen and references Asian art and Islamic architecture. It was printed using the blueprint method – making positive dark on light print of a blueprint negative while picking up the nuances and intricate details of the graphite and ink drawings. The original consists of seven mural panels. Each panel captures the flattened perspective and delicate line work that the artist is known for.
Currently, the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum has the largest collection of Ilonka Karasz’s wallcoverings.
To see Ms. Karasz’s work in detail, visit oceanfront La Mer and indulge in their new menu listed here.
