abstract:Kaj Franck (1911-1989) was one of the leading figures of Finnish design, the teacher of several generations of professional designers in Finland, and an influential figure in design and applied arts between 1940-1980. He was artistic director of the Wärtsilä Group (later Hackman Plc, present-day Iittala Group) and artistic director and teacher at the College of Applied Arts, the predecessor of the University of Art and Design Helsinki.
Tapio Wirkkala's wafer-thin laminated wood bowls and fluid, flaring glass, and the objects of art and manufacture of Timo Sarpaneva, KajFranck and other Finnish architects and artisans prove once again that the intrinsic quality of materials reduced to their most basic, sensuous essence, shaped by the creative imagination of an artist, beats all the kitsch in the world.