Yrjö Kukkapuro
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a pair of 'Saturnus' easy chairs, Haimi, Finland 1970s. From the estate of Timo Sarpaneva.
Base and seat in black fibreglass reinforced plastic, upholstery in black leather, maker's mark, width 62 cm, height 74 cm.
Marks and wear.
Provenance
Belonged originally to Timo Sarpaneva, Helsinki.
Designer
Yrjö Kukkapuro is a Finnish interior architect and furniture designer with a prolific career spanning over 65 years. He gained fame primarily through his experimental design and ergonomic philosophy, focusing on ecological values and the inherent qualities of materials. Born in 1933 in Vyborg, Kukkapuro studied at the University of Art and Design Helsinki, later becoming a teacher there. Eventually, he served as the rector from 1978 to 1980.
Kukkapuro is perhaps best known for his chairs, with one of the most famous being the "Karuselli" from 1964. The chair was dubbed the "Most Comfortable Chair in the World" by The New York Times in 1974 and is part of the permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.