Tapio Wirkkala graduated in 1936 as an ornamental sculptor from the department of sculpture of the Central School of Arts and Crafts in Helsinki. At the beginning of his career, he also worked as a commercial artist. Wirkkala won the art glass series of the Iittala glassworks’ design competition in 1946 and was immediately hired by the factory. In 1947 he won a competition for the design of new bank notes for the Bank of Finland. Wirkkala is known as a highly versatile designer of glass, wood, porcelain, metal and plastics, and also as an exhibition architect and graphic designer.
Wirkkala was a designer at the Iittala glassworks and its artistic director. In the mid-1960s, he also began to design glass for the Venini factory in Italy and porcelain for Rosenthal in Germany. His work, however, focused on Finland, where he designed utility objects for Ahlström Oy, Airam Oy, the Kultakeskus firm and Lapin Puukko. Wirkkala was artistic director and instructor at the Institute of Industrial Arts from 1951 to 1954. He was also the designer of several exhibitions of applied art and design, and for example at the ninth triennial of Milan in 1951, the Finnish department, designed by Wirkkala was awarded to Grand Prix. He also designed the 275th anniversary exhibition of the Finnish glass industry in 1956, the 50th anniversary exhibition of the Ornamo design association in 1961 and the centenary exhibition of the Friends of Finnish Handicraft in 1979. One of Wirkkala’s major achievements was the design of the premises of the Finnish Glass Museum at Riihimäki in 1981.
Tapio Wirkkala described his method of working as follows: ”I operate from intuition, immediate perception… The design of an object is drawing and correcting. The making of several different models and again correction, and drawing again. There can be hundreds of drafts and sketches. And all this work does not even lead anywhere… If the mark of sweat is visible in the design of an object, it is unsuccessful. The work should not be seen in the finished piece. ” Wirkkala often found inspiration in nature. The foundations of his work were his broad scope and skill in working by hand. Wirkkala has been compared to the master craftsmen of the past. He drew a great deal, but also wanted to study at first hand the various stages of making objects, for example glass-blowing.
Wirkkala was awarded several prizes at the Milan triennial of 1951; in 1954 at Milan he received three Grands Prix and in 1960 one Grand Prix in addition to other prizes. In 1951, he received the Lunning Prize and the House Beautiful magazine chose a plywood sculpture by Wirkkala as ”the most beautiful object of the year”. In the 1960s and 1970s, Wirkkala received numerous prizes at the Faenza and Vicenza ceramics contests. He received an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art in London in 1971, and in 1980 Wirkkala was awarded the Prince Eugen Medal in Stockholm. He received the Pro Finlandia medal in 1957 and was given the honorary title of academician in 1972.
Works by Tapio Wirkkala have been on show at dozens of exhibitions of Finnish applied art and design around the world, and he held several solo exhibitions. Wirkkala’s life’s work has been featured in large touring exhibitions both in Finland and abroad. A major Wirkkala exhibition arranged by the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design toured from 1981 to 1985 and a recent exhibition by Design Museum Helsinki began its tour in 2000.
Auli Suortti-Vuorio
Bibliography:
Tapio Wirkkala. Ed. by Juhani Pallasmaa. Text by Pekka Suhonen. The Finnish Society of Crafts and Design. Helsinki 1981.
Tapio Wirkkala. Exposiciòn del diseno finlandès. Catalogue of the Wirkkala exhibition in Mexico City 1982.
Tapio Wirkkala. Musée des Arts Décoratifs Paris. Exhibition catalogue.
Tapio Wirkkala. Electa. Milano 1984. Related to Wirkkala’s exhibition in Milan in 1984.
Tapio Wirkkala. Ajattelevat kädet. Ed. Marianne Aav and working group. Taideteollisuusmuseo. Design Museum Helsinki WSOY 2000.
Koivisto, Kaisa, Kolme tarinaa lasista. Suomalainen lasimuotoilu 1946-1957. Suomen lasimuseon tutkimusjulkaisu. The Bulletin of the Finnish Glass Museum. Lasitutkimuksia – Glass Research XIII. 2001.
Articles on Tapio Wirkkala in Form Function Finland:
Suhonen, Pekka, Counterpoints in Tapio Wirkkala´s output. FFF vol. 1 /1981
Pallasmaa, Juhani, The arduous art of simplicity. FFF vol. 3 /1985.
Siltavuori, Eeva, These objects exist and are alive. The Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) exhibition returns. FFF vol. 2 / 1987
Keinänen, Timo, Wirkkala and Venini. FFF vol. 4 / 1987
Tapio Wirkkala. Special edition. Form Function Finland and the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design 2000. Editor-in-chief Anne Stenros. Text Pekka Suhonen. FFF vol 3-4 / 2000. Also published as an offprint.
Newspaper articles:
“Hasardihommaahan tämä on ollut...” By Eeropekka Rislakki. Uusi Suomi 22.3.1981.
Mies, joka loi Suomelle imagon. By Maunula. Helsingin Sanomat 25.8.2000.
