This is a curated exhibition in collaboration with high end Finnish living showroom Kruuna.

Punainen means red in Finnish. It’s not a typical Finnish colour. Yet in the Finnish history, there are a lot of art and design pieces created in this colour by artists and designers.

In this exhibition, the Finnish past and present are interwoven. Creations of jewelry, ceramics, glass and textiles from famous Finnish names are mixed together with works from lesser known names. Some selected works from the current day creators are included in the exhibition. For example, you can see Arabia red, sparkling brass and handwoven linen here.

The idea for this exhibition is based on Finnish vintage design pieces getting popular in the international market. But can we introduce a pure Finnish aesthetic with the skill and quality if we remove those famous labels? And can we still identify they are from Finland and appreciate them? The essence here is not the highest sales price but the quality and craftsmanship on display.

In the Finnish culture history, there is no clear boundary between artists and designers. A great architect can design jewelry, a jewelry designer can also make a nice rye rug while a glass artist can design a lamp. Famous Finnish names still stand out with their achievements despite forays into other fields they were curious and passionate about. This is in contrast with the homogeneity widely seen today which in turn raises the question how artists and designers could go about their careers and help to revive Finnish art and design. Hopefully this exhibition can trigger some fresh 1thoughts on the topic.

Punainen, red, is a colour as well an attitude!