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Tapio Wirkkala
Tapio Wirkkala, whose full name was Tapio Veli Ilmari Wirkkala, has been a great asset to the development of Finnish art. In 1915, he was born in Hanko, a town on the southern coast of Finland.
Wirkkala was a tremendously versatile designer. For example, he not only designed furniture, but also jewelry and even glassware. The materials he used for his products ranged from glass to plywood to ceramics, among others. Characteristic of Wirkkala was his use of the puukko. This is a traditional Finnish knife, which he used for his designs with precision carving.
During his time as a designer, Wirkkala collaborated with companies such as Finlandia Vodka and Iittala. For both brands, he used a design where it looks like frozen raindrops run off. This is easily seen in the stunning Iittala Ultima Thule glass set that he created for Iittala devised.