Arts Thread: Unwrapped: Contemporary Finnish Design and Photography Exhibition

This year the London Design Festival is host to ‘Unwrapped: Contemporary Finnish Design and Photography Exhibition’ at London’s Rag Factory. Designer and photographer Jani Kaila has selected 19 leading Finnish designers from a variety of fields, ranging from industrial design, furniture, lighting to even shoes, to bring a cutting edge showcase to the UK.

Jani states that he wanted to pick the pieces that really epitomise Finnish culture and design, ‘I aimed to get an understanding how the designers work, what their inspirations are and how they relax.’ He has photographed the designers in their working environment to reflect the Finnish way of life and give a new perspective to the exhibition.

Aki Choklat is a designer who resides in Florence and London, and his work combines the best aspects of all three cultures. He loves to use Finnish materials in his designs and these felt shoes are vibrant, practical and fun. Manufactured from sheep’s wool from a small local farm, the idea was to promote the fun side by creating something more contemporary.

Another London based designer, Maria Jauhiainen, displays a variety of pieces at ‘Unwrapped’ that showcase her skill of intricate design. Working from home Maria started with delicate jewellery pieces but has now branched out into interior installations.

What inspires Maria? Always passionate about intricate details, she likes to explore the unexpected creations that can evolve from materials. She dissolves metal down and starts from scratch, producing these beautiful delicate yet surprisingly strong products.

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Written by Natalie Fordham. Republished with kind permission from the Arts Thread blog. 

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