Designer, artist and teacher Eero Rislakki is seldom mentioned in Finnish design history in spite of his wide body of work and many awards. This is the story of Finland's first industrial designer. Rislakki (1924-2017) long resided in Helsingborg, Sweden but he was born in Helsinki, Finland. As a little boy he liked creating and carving things … Continue reading Eero Rislakki – a pioneer in industrial design
Tag: design
25 surprising stories about Finnish design
Finnish design is appreciated around the world for its minimalistic appearance, playful ruggedness and strict functionalism. There are a couple of cliches that most often get tossed around though, like Timo Sarpaneva's Orchid vase was voted the most beautiful object in the world by House Beautiful in 1954 as was Tapio Wirkkala's leaf shaped wood … Continue reading 25 surprising stories about Finnish design
One hit wonders in design history
Designers who do one thing and then call it quits fascinate me. Some of them decided to become interior designers or architects and some simply decided to do something completely different. Here's to the one hit wonders of the design world. Pekka Perjo - Pohjola chair Pekka Perjo designed the "Pohjola" chair in 1965 for insurance … Continue reading One hit wonders in design history
Teak artists and manufacturers in Finland
Little has been written about the use of teak and other hardwood materials in industrial design in Finland. Denmark and Sweden have made a bigger mark and they did also have a much larger production. In this post I'm focusing on smaller object although some Finnish manufacturers made furniture in both solid teak and veneer. … Continue reading Teak artists and manufacturers in Finland
Veljekset / Bröderna Backman – a company carved in wood
I'm passionate about what you would call hardwood, teak and rosewood being some of the most known ones. Back in the 50's and 60's they were easy to find because of deforestation in Southeast Asia which in turn partly was due to the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. Essentially the Americans and French were selling … Continue reading Veljekset / Bröderna Backman – a company carved in wood
Upcycling: old meets new in TV 3.0
A couple of months ago I spotted a funny looking TV at an obscure thrift store in Helsinki. It was old for sure and it seemed to be a high-end TV of its time. I haggled the price stating that it had little value in its current state and got a good price. I started … Continue reading Upcycling: old meets new in TV 3.0
Known and unknown Finnish design in Hollywood movies
The Holy Grail from Indiana Jones and the last crusade The grail used in the movie was created by Saul Nordqvist (1911- 2003) and Holger Granbäck (1927-1985) who made ceramic objects together for 38 years at the Savitorppa studio in Nurmijärvi. The production in the studio was relatively small scale and the first years were … Continue reading Known and unknown Finnish design in Hollywood movies
Forthzine - Jonas Forth 