Tapio Wirkkala (1913 – 1985) Finland’s Leading Designer

Early Career and Recognition

Tapio Wirkkala is widely regarded as one of Finland’s most influential designers. Wirkkala began his career as a sculptor in Helsinki, where he studied from 1933 to 1936. Even though WWII disrupted his early career as a sculptor and graphic designer, he won a glass competition run by the Iittala company in 1946. The same year he won a competition to design banknotes for the Bank of Finland.

Triennale Success

He obtained particular notice at the IX Milan Triennale in 1951, where he won three Grand Prix, a feat he repeated at the X Triennale in 1954, where he won three Grand Prix once more, and the XII Triennale in 1960, where he received a Grand Prix and a Gold Medal. His reputation was cemented in Scandinavia, where he shared the first Lunning Prize for architecture with Hans Wegner in 1951.

Innovative Designs

He became well-known in the 1950s for his organic, fluid designs in glass and ceramics, which he first illustrated with his Kantarelli vase series in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1954, he moved to the United States, where he researched American mass manufacturing techniques at Raymond Loewy Associates in New York. His design work encompassed various disciplines, including lighting and cutlery.

Collaborations and Legacy

He worked for the German ceramics company Rosenthal from 1956 until his death and designed for the Venini glass company from the late 1950s onwards. Tapio Wirkkala’s innovative designs and successful collaborations contribute to his enduring legacy in the design field.

Sources

Woodham, J. M. (2006). A dictionary of modern design. Oxford University Press.

More on Finnish Designers

More design articles

• Alvar Aalto (1898 – 1976) Finnish Architect, town planner and designer of furniture
• Arzberg Porcelain – prestigious German design
• Ulla Procopé (1921 – 1968) Finnish Ceramicist
• Brian Anthony Asquith (1930 – 2008) British silversmith and industrial designer
• Lunning Prize (1951-1972) – a showcase for Scandinavian Design