Designer
Liisi Beckmann
Liisi Beckmann (1924–2004) was a Finnish designer and artist active largely in Italy. Born Liisi Marjatta Meronen in Kirvu, she studied at the Helsinki School of Arts and Design and attended courses at the Academy of Fine Arts. She moved…
Biography
Background
Liisi Beckmann (1924–2004) was a Finnish designer and artist active largely in Italy. Born Liisi Marjatta Meronen in Kirvu, she studied at the Helsinki School of Arts and Design and attended courses at the Academy of Fine Arts. She moved to Milan in 1957 and worked in La Rinascente's development studio.
Practice
Beckmann worked across furniture, glass, ceramics and metalware for manufacturers including Zanotta, Vetreria Vistosi, Gabbianelli and Valenti.
Karelia
Zanotta's official page credits her with the 1966 Karelia armchair. Its frameless polyurethane-foam body and wave-like surface refer to the bays and gulfs of the Republic of Karelia in Finland. A supplementary biography records a 2007 reissue, kept distinct from the official design year.
Later Work
Beckmann gradually withdrew from design in the mid-1970s to concentrate on painting and sculpture. She spent her final years in Finland and died in Orimattila in 2004.
