The chosen 6

Tapio Anttila, The Furniture Designer of the Year, giving his thank-you speech.

The Finnish Association of Designers Ornamo and The Association of Professional Graphic Designers in Finland Grafia awarded last Tuesday night six Finnish Designers of the Year 2012.
As those opening parties are always more or less a possibility to chat with your friends in a huge crowd seeing only a tiny corner of the exhibition, I found the easiest way to find out about their work through their internet pages. (Do the same, if you cannot visit the exhibition!)
Graphic Designer of the Year Kokoro & Moi www.kokoromoi.com 
Furniture Designer of the Year Tapio Anttila www.tapioanttila.com 
Fashion Designer of the Year Freeman http://ctrlclothing.com/ 
Textile Designer of the Year Elina Helenius www.elinahelenius.com 
Industrial Designer of the Year Elizabeth Salonen www.mottoform.com 
Artist of the Year Outi Turpeinen www.koodia4.fi

Virka Gallery is situated in Helsinki City Hall, 
entrance Sofiankatu 1 or Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13. 

The exhibition is open until March 25^th, 
and opening hours are Mon-Fri 9 am -7 pm, Sat-Sun 10 am - 4 pm. Free entry.

The Joy of Encouragement

Elastinen is happy.

My favorite TV show at the moment is The Voice of Finland, Finnish version of the Dutch original.

This reality singing competition is so full of emotions and positive energy mainly because of the judges, the popular singers Paula Koivuniemi, Lauri Tähkä, Mike Monroe and Elastinen.

The smile of Elastinen brings me over the moon. The energy of Lauri and Paula! And then the rock phenomen Mike Monroe – who would believe that the guy will be 50 years old in June!

Of course there are the tears of disappointment, too, but no one of the competitors is humiliated. Even the non chosen singers leave the stage with a firm belief that a brilliant future is waiting for them, too.             

Lauri Tähkä concentrating.

 Hopeful Paula Koivuniemi.

Yes or no - doubtful Mike Monroe.

* The Voice of Finland, Nelonen TV on Fridays at 8 PM.

Bid for Finnish artwork on the online auction!

Are you soon the happy owner of Oiva Toikka´s glass cube?

Or Klaus Haapaniemi´s watercolor painting of his cat Putte?

They are two of the art works on the online auction sponsored by Valio, Finland´s biggest milk company. 

This whole designer and milk thing started last year when Valio asked 8 designers to create a personal new look to their milk cartons. Now the same designers (added to those mentioned above are Tiia Vanhatapio, Paola “Ivana Helsinki” Suhonen, Jenni Reuter, Kristiina Lassus, Eero Aarnio and Tuomas “Angry Birds” Erikoinen) have created some unique works for the charity auction.

Do not miss this opportunity if you want to own some original works by Finnish designers!

The address to bid is www.valio.fi/maito ( “Huuda hyvää!” means Bid for the good and there you also can see the works.) 

The auction starts on Sunday 22.1. at 9 o´clock  Finnish time and ends on next Sunday 29.1. at 7 pm. Starting prizes are 50 euros. The mailing costs are included if you live in Finland, otherwise you pay for the mailing.

The profits of the auction go uncut to SOS Children´s Village´s The Neighborhood Homes project that starts next summer in Tampere.

Lovely cow bags designed by Paola Suhonen.

Hello Helsinki Design Year 2012!

Chair Rosebud for Vivero by Ilkka Suppanen. Photo by Jani Kaila.

 

I started the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 year visiting Design Museum and it´s new exhibition Finnish Design Unwrapped which is opening museum´s Design Gallery exhibition year. 
Well, there in the cellar were 19 contemporary designers presented in portraits and through their work in somehow very serious manner. It was probably more or less reflecting the ideas and the taste of the photographer Jani Kaila. Excellent products, excellent quality, excellent photographs but where were the surprises and the joy of living? 
I have decided to be positive during this year, so I went to the museum shop to find some products I had just seen downstairs and quess what. There were next to none. Only a couple jewellery pieces by Maria Jauhiainen. 
No Lahtiset felt shoes by Aki Choklat, no Nathalie Lahdenmäki´s sweet ceramics, no bold B/W vases by Anu Penttinen, no ceramic milk cartons by Jatta Lavi. 
OK, I would not have bought a chair nor a giant speaker, but would have been tempted to buy something small.
For example those things mentioned above. Let´s hope the shop will offer more choices connected to the exhibitions in the nearest future...

 Nathalie Lahdenmäki and her lovely ceramic spoons.

Aki Choklat swimming with the felt shoes.

Anyway: Finnish Design Unwrapped is open until 29.1.2012.  Find all the details here: www.designmuseum.fi/en/