Finnish Design (Page 5)

Finland was later than its neighbouring countries, Sweden and Denmark, in developing a global design identity. The first one was presented at the Milan Triennales in the early 1950s by Tapio Wirkkala and Timo Sarpaneva, who displayed highly expressive art glass.

Since that time, Finnish design has tended to be more sculptural and more upscale than other Scandinavian designs, and a successful design publicity machine has developed to maintain that image.

In addition to glass, Finland is known for its unique furniture, ceramics, and textiles. Finnish furniture, from Aalto to Kukkapuro, combines a respect for the materials’ inherent qualities with a deft sense of proportion and a sense of quality, while Arabia has adopted the Swedish practice of hiring artists to work in its factories for ceramics. However, Finland probably excels at printed cotton textiles because brands like Marimekko and Vuokko are well-known abroad for their vibrant, eye-catching textiles. Finnish design has a distinctive personality as a result of these incredibly unique contributions.

Timo Sarpaneva, a rug/ ryarug for Friends of Finnish Handicraft. Circa 150x110 cm.

The Friends of Finnish Handicraft aims to document and promote typically Finnish textiles. The association was founded in 1879 by Fanny Churberg and inspired by the Swedish Friends of Handicraft association, founded five years earlier. The association has always worked closely with artists and architects and, from an early date, cooperated with, e.g. Jac Ahrenberg. The association collected and published a pattern book of traditional textile patterns in its early days. Read More →