TWO YOUNG DESIGNERS


The Young Designer of the Year 2006 has again been awarded to two designers, Jukka Korpihete and Mikko Paakkanen. Korpihete designs light fixtures, Paakkanen furniture. Both are still studying at the University of Art and Design Helsinki.

We asked Jukka and Mikko what they think about the life of a young designer.

Jukka, what is important in a lamp?

Jukka: "How it provides light for a space and how this light is controlled. In addition to lighting-technical matters I have wanted to underline the forms of light and shade in many of my lamp designs. I want them to bring forth the experiential properties of light alongside its technical properties."

And what do you think is important in a chair?

Jukka: "Its basic feel, and that it looks like a good chair to sit in."

Mikko, what is important for you in a chair?

Mikko: "The most important thing is to find a good sitting position and to realize it in a controlled and aesthetically pleasing manner."

And in a lamp?

Mikko: "The most important thing in a light fixture is its dialogue with surrounding space. A lamp takes into account the direction, colour and amount of light, in addition to a balanced realization of materials and form."

What is difficult in designing a lamp or a chair?

Mikko: "The world is full of beautiful chairs, and it is sometimes in fact difficult to find a new and functioning way to make a chair."

Jukka: "It's difficult to create a balanced lamp that is not just the design of its shade. In other words, an aesthetically interesting lamp also entails insights of illumination technology."

What’s it like to be a young designer in Finland in the 2000s?

Jukka: "At least now it feels really good and rewarding! And I must say that being Finnish is by no means a handicap in the international market."

Mikko: "The timing is perfect; this is a time of change. Designers of the older generation are opening up the playing field for younger colleagues, creating opportunities for engaging fully in this profession."

National or international?

Mikko: "Finland is a resource that we must be able to utilize internationally. And designers do not seem to be able to survive on the domestic market alone. We are proud of Finnish design and we want to sell it to others! It is important to create design for everyone and not just to create something that is totally isolated in its own corner."

Jukka: "Design is so international these days that the national aspect is well worth underlining."

Jukka, please define ”sensitivity”. How is it expressed in your work?

Jukka: "The sensitivity to interpret one’s own instincts is one of the designer’s most important qualities. In more concrete terms, sensitivity in the design of objects is bound in absolute terms to the dimensions of the object and how dimensions and material support its function."

Mikko, please define ”beauty”. How is it expressed in your work?

Mikko: "Beauty is an equation of things. For example, a chair in which a result that is beautiful can be achieved through a controlled equation of structure, material and form. For some reason, I have increasingly begun to regard as beautiful things in which material is understood and form is not created forcibly for form’s sake. I try to follow these principles in my work."

Can you let go in design?

Jukka: "It’s good to have some kind of relaxed attitude to one’s work, but it mustn’t be the main thing or the prime element of an object."

Mikko: "Of course you can, and you must. Design must not be too straightlaced. But letting go can also be dangerous, because sometimes the message is not received by everyone. I find it therapeutic to work in a variety of ways. Sometimes I go by the millimetre and sometimes I wield an axe."

What do you find inspiring right now?

Mikko: "Right now I’m inspired by everything. I’m working on new chairs and a few small objects. I am still dreaming of designing working clothes for men when I find the time for it. The world is full of objects that are an inspiration to re-design."

What next?

Mikko: "The next thing I want to design is a product that everyone can afford."

(This interview was made in February 2006.)