Eero Aarnio

Professor and interior designer Eero Aarnio has had an exceptionally long career and is one of the most internationally significant Finnish designers. He became known globally through the chair Thunderball which was presented in 1966. The optimism of the future prevailing at the time and new industrial raw materials made it possible to expand the perception of what a piece of furniture is.

The exhibition shows the depth and breadth of Aarnio's production and highlights new dimensions of the well-known designer. The exhibition is based on five themes: Artifacts, Mind, Time, Process and Manufacture. Through the themes, one can delve into the most important objects in Aarnio's production and gain an insight into the unknown aspects of the design process. The material is a selection from the workbench in the design studio and from the production lines in the factory.

‍Eero Aarnio was born in Helsinki in 1932. Studied at the Swedish School of Art and Design and graduated as an interior designer in 1957. After graduation, he worked in the architectural offices of Ilmari Tapiovaara and Antti Nurmesniemi and the Asko furniture factory. Worked as a freelance since 1962. During his career, Aarnio has been awarded in several international furniture design competitions, including the Cantù in Italy, the Compasso d'Oro and the Kaj Franck Design Prize. Aarnio's work is in the collections of MoMA in New York, V&A in London, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Centre Pompidou in Paris, Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein and Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, among others.

The exhibition is produced by the Design Museum in Helsinki. Curator: Suvi Saloniemi
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^{Photo: John Nelander}