I can’t go more than a few weeks before I’m back across to Scandinavia for a Designer Desire instalment. Kaija Aarikka (1929-2014) began her creative career designing and carving wooden buttons whilst attending Helsinki University of Technology.
Not much later, in 1954, she and her husband founded their own company, Aarikka Oy. They produced mainly wooden jewellery and small wooden ornaments. You can see the progression from the earlier button-making in the beads she used in her later designs.
I love her cute animal figures that she designed using these beads – the plain and multi-coloured rams and different types of birds. These, like her jewellery that she made using wood and often non-precious metals, are very affordable. Find examples on eBay and Etsy.
Additional image credits:
Bukowskis