Designer
Ilmari Tapiovaara
Yrjö Ilmari Tapiovaara (7 September 1914 – 31 January 1999) was a Finnish designer noted for furnishings and textiles. Artek says he graduated from the Department of Furniture Design at the Central School of Applied Arts in Helsinki in…
Biography
Background
Yrjö Ilmari Tapiovaara (7 September 1914 – 31 January 1999) was a Finnish designer noted for furnishings and textiles. Artek says he graduated from the Department of Furniture Design at the Central School of Applied Arts in Helsinki in 1937, worked as an assistant at Le Corbusier's office in Paris and became artistic director and designer at Asko Oy.
Signature Style
Artek says he refused to stay within the bounds of traditional furniture design, made everything from wooden sculptures to film posters and sauna stoves, and kept improving objects such as the universal chair through iteration.
Notable Works
Domus Chair and Domus Lounge Chair (1946), Lukki Chair (1951), Trienna Table (1954), Mademoiselle Lounge Chair and Rocking Chair (1956), Aslak Chair (1958) and the Kiki Bench, Sofa, Lounge Chair and Low Table (1960), as listed on Artek's designer page.
Legacy
Wikipedia says furniture based on his sketches was still produced into the twenty-first century; Artek calls him an influential public figure and spokesperson for his profession.
