Biography

Yrjö Kukkapuro is one of the most important designers in Finland. He was born in 1933 in his grandfather's farmhouse in Isthmus in Karelia. As a child he moved with his family to Vyborg. Kukkapuro made his first public appearance as a student of Ilmari Tapiovaara at the Institute of Industrial Art in Helsinki. In 1957 he participated in the exhibition 'The Home of the Future' organized by Antti Nurmesniemi with a lounge chair. At that time, the fiberglass chairs of Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen represented a great inspiration for Kukkapuro. However, new materials such as fiberglass-reinforced polyester were initially out of reach for the young student. Kukkapuro sought an alternative modern look and had success with the 'Moderno Collection' of tubular steel, plywood with thin upholstery and fabric covers (1958-61). Chair models from this series were exported in editions of hundreds of thousands to Russia, for example, in the 1960s. Also a bestseller are the upholstered armchairs and sofas of the 'Ateljee' series, which Kukkapuro designed in 1963-64. The basic form consists of a box-like construction with wooden back and sides on tubular steel legs. Among Kukkapuro's most famous designs is the voluminous lounge chair 'Karuselli', which took its final shape during a design process lasting several years. The Finnish designer modeled the seat shell of the prototype around his own body. Tall people can sit comfortably in the fiberglass shell covered with leather, which thanks to a metal bracket seems to float above the cross-shaped base. The armchair was first presented to an international audience at the Cologne Furniture Fair in 1965, and it is still in production today. In the 1980s, Kukkapuro enjoyed success with postmodern forms, playing with organically curved armrests and colorful accents for the 'Experiment' collection, which was presented at the Milan Furniture Fair in 1982 and celebrated by the press. Yrjö Kukkapuro taught at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki for many years, and also held teaching positions in China. His designs are represented in many major museums, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. One of his greatest sources of inspiration was his wife, the graphic designer Irmeli Kukkapuro (1934 - 2022). At the end of the 1960s, together with her, he built his studio and home, the 'Pop House', where the designer still lives and works today.

Objects by Yrjö Kukkapuro