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Kaija Aarikka Exhibition: The Story of Aarikka's Founder

Toko

Hello, I'm Mayu, and I'm currently studying design at Aalto University in Finland.

The other day, I went to see the Kaija Aarikka exhibition held at the Kunsthalle Helsinki.
Kaija Aarikka (1929-2014) was a Finnish designer and an entrepreneur who founded the Aarikka company. Even if the name Aarikka doesn't ring a bell, many of you may have seen this sheep before. Aarikka has a store on Esplanadi in Helsinki and is a popular lifestyle brand in Finland.

Speaking of Aarikka, this sheep comes to mind.

When we think of Aarikka, we think of pop, cute color palettes and playful wooden designs, but Kaija Aarikka's career actually started in textile design. She wasn't satisfied with the buttons for her graduation project dress, so she made her own out of wood. When those buttons became popular, she founded the Aarikka company with her husband, Erkki Ruokonen.

Actually, they also work with textiles.

After that, in addition to her original specialty of fashion accessories, she began working on a wide range of items, including interior decorations and children's toys. Many of these products are still deeply rooted in Finnish life today.

I'm sure many of you are familiar with these as well; they are popular souvenirs.
They put a lot of effort into Christmas ornaments and have a rich lineup. From tableware to tree ornaments, you can find exciting and cute products.


Looking at the works, I am surprised by their richness of expression. Many are made from simple geometric shapes, but it's amazing how many different expressions can be created by combining simple forms. It truly evokes a sense of playfulness and infinite imagination, much like a child using blocks to express various things and shapes.

Forest animals are one of Kaija's important themes. The way the horns are expressed is truly cute.
They also make some quite punchy decorative items.
It's interesting how many variations can be created just from spheres.


Another amazing thing about Kaija Aarikka is that she lived her life as an active professional until the very end. She continued to release new work until the year she passed away at 85. It is said that she was so absorbed in design that she often forgot to pick up her daughters from their lessons. In 1994, she was awarded the Pro Finlandia medal, making her one of the designers who truly represents Finland.
By the way, Pro Finlandia is part of the Order of the Lion of Finland, established in 1918 to commemorate the independence of the Republic of Finland. It is awarded to individuals who have contributed to the independence and development of Finland.

Just looking at this photo, I feel like even if she faced difficult times, she must have been excited about design throughout her life.

I had the impression that there were quite a few elderly people at the exhibition, and it was fun to imagine them saying things like, 'This brings back memories, doesn't it?' (Though they might not have been saying that at all.)
The exhibition runs until January 7th, so I recommend it to anyone visiting Finland during the winter holidays.

Kaija Aarikka Exhibition
Dates: 2023.09.09 - 2024.01.07 (Closed every Monday)
Location: Kunsthalle Helsinki

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