Oiva Toikka

Oiva Toikka was personally opening his exhibition at the prestigious Murray Feldman Gallery at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles in October 1996. At the same time, an exhibition was held at the adjacent Design Finland showroom from October 5 to November 2, 1996. Oiva Toikka signed his glass art for the invited guests. On his trip to California, he heard that he could try pottery with a waxing technique he had never done before. He was excited, as always, since he had a chance to try something new in his work that inspired him. He made a few pottery works at a pottery studio in Los Angeles and this unique work, signed on October 4, 1996, is one of these personal works of art that he wanted to create as a thank you for his visit.

Oiva Toikka (1931-2019) is one of the greatest Finnish ceramic and glass artists of the 20th century. Toikka, who began his artistic career as a ceramicist, was from 1963 the artistic director of Notsjö Glasbruk. However, Toikka is today mainly associated with Iittala, not least for the well-known production of "glass birds". The successes have also been great in other artistic areas, for example Toikka has been hired as a costume designer for several theater and opera productions, of which productions at the Finnish National Opera should be mentioned.