Latest news with #Iittala
New York Times
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
A Designer Who Thrived in the Serenity of Lapland
In the early 1960s, Lisa Ponti, an Italian artist and journalist, who was the daughter of the designer Gio Ponti, paid a visit to the vacation home of her friends Tapio Wirkkala and Rut Bryk. This was no small journey. Her hosts, married designers based in Helsinki, summered with their children, Sami and Maaria, in the northernmost part of Finnish Lapland. The property lacked plumbing, electricity and even road access. The approach at that time was by boat in summer and by a sled pulled by reindeer over a frozen lake in winter. If the climate 165 miles above the Arctic Circle turned out to be colder than expected, visitors could hardly drop by a department store and pick up a sweater. But Maaria Wirkkala, an artist, who is now 71, recalled that when her father saw the contents of Ms. Ponti's bags, he pointed to item after item with the refrain, 'Not necessary … not necessary.' Clockwise from upper left: original farmhouse, known as the "Old House"; bed built by Mr. Wirkkala; view from the Old House; and interior of the "Big House" that was added to the property. Credit... Rauno Traskelin His love of extremity is a theme of 'Tapio Wirkkala: The Sculptor of Ultima Thule,' an exhibition of 300 of his works that opens April 5 at the Tokyo Station Gallery, before traveling to other sites in Japan. Placing the designer in the context of the remote northern region that bewitched him, the show marks the 110th anniversary of his birth and the 40th anniversary of his death. Its title refers to two of Mr. Wirkkala's best-known creations — glassware called Ultima Thule that seems to drip with icicles (released in 1968, it continues to be produced by the Finnish company Iittala), and a 30-foot-long carved wood sculpture also called Ultima Thule, a name that has referred since antiquity to remote northern lands. That art piece, which was made for the Finnish pavilion at Expo '67 in Montreal, represents nature swirling and gouging the earth. Image Mr. Wirkkala at the Old House. A sleigh is propped up next to him. Credit... Maaria Wirkkala Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Finnish Glass Biennale Recruits Designer Akira Minagawa as Curator
The renowned Japanese designer Akira Minagawa has been tapped as the curator of the first Finnish Glass Biennale. A multidisciplinary talent, he is the founder of the design brand minä perhonen, and has collaborated with such companies as Issey Miyake, Muji and Kvadrat, as well as Finnish ones like Artek, Lapuan Kankurit and Iittala. The minimalist favors functionality, nature-inspired touches and true craftsmanship. More from WWD Roche Bobois Slightly Misses 2024 Revenue Guidance, Says China Boosted Q4 Wenjüe Lu Blends Art, Fashion and Philosophy EXCLUSIVE: Frette Taps Former Tory Burch, LVMH Manager as Its First Chief Commercial Officer From June 5 to 8, the inaugural Finnish Glass Biennale will be held in an assortment of venues in Riihimäki, Nuutajärvi and Iittala. In addition to orchestrating the main exhibition, and a workshop for young designers, he will create a collection of glass art pieces that will be featured in the biennale. Having been visiting Scandinavia and its 'excellent glass artists and glass factories' for nearly 40 years, the designer said he has stayed in touch with some of these artists and has observed the transition of their creations and its current state of glass production. 'I hope that this biennale will become a catalyst for a global attention to glass creation, as well as an attention to detail of human handcrafted creations,' he said. Looking ahead, Minagawa said some of his future plans include creating monuments for urban planning, and also creating artwork in Paris. This fall there will be a new exhibition of his studio minä perhonen's work. 'TSUGU minä perhonen' will run Nov. 22 through Feb. 1 at the Setagaya Art Museum in Tokyo. It will then be staged at several other museums over the next three years. Last year his art and textiles were showcased in 'Design = Memory Akira Minagawa & minä perhonen' at the Nationalmuseum Sweden's museum of art and design. From Minagawa's perspective, the fields of fashion and glass are very similar in terms of the degree of collaboration between creators and artisans. 'The skills of knowing the process and guiding to creation can be spoken in a similar point of view,' he said. However, It is becoming more difficult to foster good artisans, engineers and factories, due to an increase in the mass production of products, he said. 'We believe that it is necessary to preserve good material resources and good partnership for future creations.' His favorite designers include the recently retired Dries Van Noten. He also is a fan of the artists Richard Serra, Roni Horn and Henri Matisse, and the photographers Marc Riboud, Yoshihiko Ueda, and Sebastião Salgado. All in all, the designer said he wishes that when people are buying clothes, they would 'question whether the clothes are properly manufactured without any issues of human or environmental problems in the production process of materials and manufacturing.' Also, he wishes they would consider 'whether the clothes they own can be used for a long time.' As for the most influential figure in his life, Minagawa highlighted Viktor Emil Frankl's books for helping him to think about the meaning of human life, especially 'Ein Psychologe erlebt das Konzentrationslage [Man's Search for Meaning].' With many tasks ahead, Minagawa wishes he had the time to 'go on a long-term journey around the world and take many years to make a work of art.' Best of WWD Paul Smith Fashion Designs: The Timeless Classics With Quirky, Modern Twist [PHOTOS] 60 Years of Timeless Elegance: Roger Vivier's Iconic Belle Vivier Pumps and the Stars Who Wore Them [PHOTOS] Ivanka Trump Modeling Through the Years: Runway Moments and More From the Archives [PHOTOS]
