Birger Kaipiainen
Birger Kaipiainen (1915-1988)
Born in Pori, southwestern Finland, on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. Finland's leading designer, known as the "King of Decorators". Although he moved to Helsinki, the capital, when he was a child, Kaipiainen spends his summers in a homestay in a town called Sortavala in Russia. The sense of nature and artistry nurtured there will influence him for the rest of his life. In his prime, Kaipiainen suffered from polio, which left him walking with a cane for the rest of his life. He was unable to turn the potter's wheel on his own because he was unable to use one hand to make pottery, but it is said that this actually served as an opportunity to hone his unique artistic sense.
Kaipiainen graduated from Aalto University, Finland's premier art university, got a job at ARABIA in 1937 , and moved to Rorstrand in Sweden for four years from 1954 . In the heyday of simple and unadorned Nordic modern art, Kaipiainen's designs are rich in decorativeness and are characterized by detailed depictions drawn to every corner. He has built a unique world view that is distinct from the mainstream of the times, and designed Paratish in 1969 , Apia in 1970 , and Sunnuntai in 1971 . These are still the reprinted editions of Arabia, and have become a signboard product.