Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Finnish Design
The rustle of the birch or waterbird's splash on a lake are never far below the
surface of a Finn's soul and they have taken this closeness to nature and
melded it to a solid Nordic practicality to create a unique design tradition.
World leaders in the field for nigh on a century, Finnish designers evoke both
the colourful optimism of summer and the minimalist austerity of winter in
their work, which ranges from traditional Suomi design icons to avant-garde
modern creations that test the limits of 3D printing.
The Roots of Creativity
Its inhabitants' almost mystical closeness to nature has always underpinned design in Fin-
land, and it's rarely been a self-conscious art. However high Finland may climb on the life-
style indexes these days, its design still has its roots in practicality. Indeed, it is a practical-
ity originally born of poverty: the inventiveness of a hand-to-mouth rural population made
life easier in very small steps.
Finland's location, and its historical role as a pawn in a long-running Russia-Sweden
chess game, have given it a variety of influences and a certain flexibility. As a meeting
point between east and west, Finland has traditionally been a place of trade, a point of ten-
sion and, therefore, a point of change and innovation. Its climate, too, is a key factor, as it
has meant that efficiency has always been the primary requisite for design of everyday ob-
jects. In bald terms, if that axe didn't chop enough wood for the winter, you wouldn't sur-
vive.
The forest is ever-present in Finnish life, so it's no surprise to find that nature is the dom-
inant and enduring motif in the country's designs, from Lapland's sheath knives to the sea-
sonal flower-and-forest colours of Marimekko's palette. Timber remains an important ma-
terial, and reassuringly chunky wooden objects adorn almost every Finnish home and sum-
mer cottage.
