Tapio Wirkkala
Tapio Wirkkala, born in Finland in 1915, was an artist of exceptional diversity. He became world famous as a glass and wood designer, taking his inspiration from the raw Finnish nature and landscape. For Wirkkala, no material was alien and he left no area of design unexplored. He worked in metals such as silver and copper, but also in porcelain and plastics. Tapio Wirkkalas design from the 1950’s reflects natures own forms such as leaves, mushrooms and melting ice. These forms with pure and elegant contours are easily recognized in the laminated birch dishes made in a technique called aeroplane veneer. This for Wirkkala so typical plywood was also used for larger sculptures. One of his plywood pieces was voted as the most beautiful object of the year in 1954. His artwork and unique objects are to be found in the worlds leading museums. Wirkkala dies in 1985