What’s up, Kirsi Enkovaara?
Featured in Protoshop 2012.
You participated in Habitare’s Protoshop some time ago. How are you now?
It has, indeed, been a long time since I participated in the Habitare Protoshop exhibition in 2012. In the same year, I left for London to study for my Master’s degree, and I’m still on that journey. After some years in London, I stayed in Spain and Thailand, where I designed objects for the home. On the side, I have been running my own design studio in London.
Kuva: Aava Anttinen
What was the Protoshop experience like for you as a designer: what did it teach and offer you, what opportunities did it open up, and what insights did you get?
For a furniture designer who had just graduated, being featured in Protoshop was a big achievement. The exhibition was a great forum to meet new people in the industry. The experience gave me more self-confidence and was the first step towards becoming a professional. I managed to get a light fitting that I presented at Protoshop into production with the company Innojok.
What are you up to at the moment?
I’ve just made the transition from salaried worker to entrepreneur. In August 2020, I will launch my new homeware design company, NKDWARE. We create new ways to manufacture unique and meaningful products. Each of our products will be accompanied by information on where and how it was made, and by whom.
What are your dreams and aspirations as a designer?
Right now, my company enables me to work on my dream themes. It is important for me to work on products that have a socially significant story and an ability to bring about change in society.
Kirsi Enkovaara