One day early in May, I found myself in a random parking lot in Fossvogur, searching for an old van. There it was, drawing me closer like a magic chest. Bright green on the outside with red stripes and details, it could easily be mistaken for an ice cream truck.
But step inside and the colours become even more vibrant. The walls are adorned with handmade prints. Jars of paint line the shelves, waiting to be mixed.
This is Brumm Brumm. The story of how mobile print studio Brumm Brumm emerged begins with Mai Shirato, who moved to Iceland from Japan to study fashion design in 2009, and Reykjavík-local and graphic designer Atli Rúnar Bender. “The concept is simple — we can travel to different places and also show the process to people.
” In an unexpected turn of events, Mai, then unfamiliar with Iceland, met a member of Icelandic hip-hop band Quarashi while they were touring in Tokyo. This sparked an interest in Icelandic culture and language to such an extent that she soon found herself surrounded by the Icelandic community while living in Tokyo in the early 2000s. The rest, as they say, is history.
Mai now calls Iceland home and, together with her partner, agrees that raising kids in Iceland is much better and less stressful, despite the endless wait for their spot in kindergarten. Professionally involved in their respective creative fields for years — Mai in textiles and Atli in printing — the couple had long dreamt of starting a little side project together. “A.