Protoshop 2021 designers
Ida Korsström
Ida Korsström is an Aalto University graduate whose work centers around surface and textile design. She enjoys exploring the technical limitations of woven fabrics and most recently she has immersed herself in the interaction of colours in woven fabrics. The inspiration for her work comes from a myriad of sources such as art, traditional craft, nature and fashion. In her work Ida leaves room for intuition and spontaneity, and she believes that aesthetically long-lasting design also can be fun and expressive.
@idakorsstrom
Comfort of Colour
Comfort of Colour is a series of jacquard woven wool blankets inspired by the colours, patterns and light of Florence, Italy. The colours for the collection were found on surfaces around the city and in the subtle tones of the Italian winter landscape. As a product the blanket is an embodiment of comfort and a heritage piece for the home. The blankets are woven with high quality merino wool and mohair on a white cotton warp.
Kati Peltola
Kati Peltola is a contemporary craft and glass artist working mostly with glass lampworking techniques. Lampworking is a method of melting and bending glass with a torch. The pieces are sculptural while playing with the aesthetics of a potential function. Kati is an alumni of Aalto University’s Contemporary Design master’s programme.
www.katipeltola.com
@kati.aussi
La Morale Élastique
La Morale Élastique is a collection of sculptural glass work bent from borosilicate tubes. The normally straight laboratory glass is formed into organic shapes through an intuitive process which mirrors our shifting moral perceptions.
Netta Kandelin
Netta Kandelin is starting her final year of interior architecture and furniture design studies at the Lahti Institute of Design. Functionality is a guiding factor in her design – without forgetting considered details and playfulness. As a designer, she hopes to work widely but sustainably on different design projects with different materials and methods.
@nettakandelin
Kaari
Kaari is a plant support that can be placed in either a pot or a garden. Its simple design gives center stage to the plant itself, and together they can grow into harmonious but playful whole. Three bent steel legs ensure the support stays firmly in place and the plant can grow safely.
Imola Balogh
Imola Balogh is a Hungarian architect currently working on a masters degree in furniture design at Aalto University. In her work, Imola searches for a harmonious relationship between structure and function. Structural thinking inspires her to find a clean and simple solution and using materials according to their properties encourages her to design sustainably. Her goal is to design visually simple, structurally clear and technologically sustainable pieces of furniture.
@imola__balogh
Fold Chair
Structure and function are carefully harmonised in this armchair, with each element working both structurally and functionally. Two solid birch frames are connected by three moulded birch plywood profiles. The seat and backrest bend to meet the legs so that no additional structural element is needed. The structural purity of the chair makes it sturdy and the bent and flexible profiles offer a comfortable and playful sitting experience.
Riku Toivonen
Riku Toivonen is a Helsinki based designer who strives to explore and question the norms of human behavior and how we interact with objects and products in everyday life. Riku’s goal is to solve problems with a touch of humour, thereby making life better. In product design Riku aspires to create functional, aesthetic as well as long-lasting and timeless products that take into account today’s challenges.
www.rikutanelitoivonen.com
@rikutanelitoivonen
Leppänen
Leppänen is a collection of small tables made from rotten birch. Normally this type of material is not accepted by furniture companies and is instead used by the transportation industry as support beams. The Leppänen coffee tables utilise scrap material while embracing the natural imperfections of rotten timber.
Susanna and Tobias Feuerbacher
Designer couple Susanna and Tobias Feuerbacher work at an old farm called Koivisto in Karkkila, Southern Finland. Susanna graduated as a designer from the Savonia University of Applied Sciences and Tobias from the University of Applied Sciences in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany. A simple and harmonious design language united the couple during their student exchange, from which their joint journey in design began.
www.koivistostudio.fi
@koivistostudio
Kehto
Tradition and present meet in the design of the Kehto (Finnish for cradle) bowls where a rough bark surface forms an interesting contrast to the otherwise flowing form language. Made of birch bark and birch veneer, these objects can be used for serving sweets or storing small items. The swinging motion of the cradle takes one’s thoughts to the Finnish forest and to the roots of Finnish culture.
Yingjie Liang
Yingjie Liang works widely within both spatial, furniture and product design. She admires playful and elegant aesthetics as well as the inner logic of structure and material. She also believes that good design evokes people’s emotions and curiosity.
Saddle
Saddle is a minimalist and playful rocking stool. The linoleum surface feels warm and inviting to touch and provides countless possibilities for colour combinations. The abstract, organic shape is visually striking and attracts attention in any space.
Tong Ren
Tong Ren graduated from the Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design MA program at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Tong also studied and worked for many years in the industrial design field.
@tongrentongren
Piha
Piha is a pattern inspired by a garden rich with flowers, fruits and birds. The surface texture was influenced by basket weaving techniques.
Juho Pasila
Juho Pasila is a furniture designer who believes that a product should bring joy to its user but also respond in the best way possible to the use that it has been designed for. Experimentation with materials and solutions is key to his work method and he always develops forms with the final manufacturing techniques in mind.
www.pasiladesign.fi
@pasiladesign
Noja
Noja is a simple and modern coat rack made from wooden dowel bars. The horizontal bars are detachable and the width of the coat rack can be scaled up or down, making it logistically clever. The diagonal bars ensure stability and durability when the load increases.
Sandra Prami
Sandra Prami is studying towards her second Bachelor degree in Design at Aalto University. She has previously graduated with a BA in Graphic design in 2018. Sandra finds her inspiration from working with different materials hands-on, other skilled makers, and objects left behind by the fashions of past decades. She aims to design objects that are like gifts to the user in their daily lives.
@pramisandra
Riitta, Pekka & Matti
Riitta, Pekka & Matti are a series of ceramic vases. The round, friendly shapes are built combining wheel-thrown half spheres and cylinders. The character-like vases stand elevated on their feet, and different effect glazes accentuate their shapes. With or without flowers, the vases are a sculptural addition to any interior.