OUR DESIGNERS
The Institute works with a wide range of talented Finnish artists, designers and illustrators engaging in different design approaches, methods and thinking. We also offer Finnish creatives a platform to showcase their work internationally and create opportunities for networking and collaboration in the UK, Ireland and further afield.
Image: Aamu Song & Johan Olin Aamu Song and Johan Olin
Aamu Song and Johan Olin created the REDDRESS London project with the Institute including the REDDRESS website, REDBOOK and all the visual marketing for REDDRESS 2011.
Korean born Aamu met her partner Johan while studying at TaiK, the University of Art and Design in Helsinki (currently Aalto University). In 2000 they went on to found COMPANY, a design practice specialised in product design, spatial design and graphic design. Based in Helsinki, they work together as artists, designers and producers along with running their shop Salakauppa ('the secret shop') in central Helsinki. Aamu and Johan’s work is inspired by urban life. Their designs make use of existing methods, but do not follow conventions or necessarily serve traditional purposes. Although unorthodox, they are always functional; a subtle hint that suggests the intended use of the product is always present. Aamu and Johan strive to discover new, positive ways to approach and to comment on contemporary issues and their work celebrates crafts, traditional manufacturing skills and natural materials.
Image: Janine Rewell Janine Rewell
Helsinki-based illustrator and graphic designer Janine Rewell is the second designer in the Institute's commissions series launched 2012. She designed a dramatic black & white visuals for the Institute's website, newsletter and social media pages to reflect the Institute's 2013 themes; contemporary art, architecture and open knowledge.
Janine studied at the University of Art and Design Helsinki as well as at the Rhode Island School of Design - and has worked as a freelance designer ever since. Inspired by the geometry of nature, decorative details and intense colors, Janine's designs are an enchanting mix of Scandinavian design and Slavic folk art. Janine's illustrations won a bronze Design Lion at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival 2009 and following year she was selected by Print magazine for its annual New Visual Artistsreview, highlighting twenty international rising designers under the age of 30. In 2011, she received the prestigious Junior Of The Year award at the Finnish Best of the Year advertising competition. In addition to taking part in many group exhibitions, she has had solo exhibitions in Barcelona and Poland.
Image: Jaakko Pallasvuo Jaakko Pallasvuo
Jaakko Pallasvuo launched the Institute commissions series 2012 by creating the first of the annually changing visuals for the Institute's website.
Jaakko works as a video artist and an illustrator in Berlin and Helsinki. He holds a degree in fine art from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts. Jaakko's drawings have been published in comic book form by Huuda Huuda in Finland and Landfill Editions in the UK. He is represented by Future Gallery in Berlin. In addition to meticulous drawing, he likes to work with rudimentary 3D objects and smart phone painting apps.
Image: Emmi Salonen Emmi Salonen
London-based graphic designer Emmi Salonen has worked on various projects for the Institute since 2008. Her work includes the Institute's website, business cards and stationary. She also created the Institute's award-winning (P)review 08/09 and (P)review 10/11 publications. In 2012 Emmi together with designer-maker Chrissie Macdonald from London-based Peepshow Collective designed the visuals and set design for the Institute's HEL/LO -Let's Talk series.
Emmi studied graphic design in University of Brighton. After graduating in 2001 she moved to Italy to work at Fabrica, Benetton’s controversial but prestigious studio for young designers. Emmi went on to earn more professional stripes back in London and New York and in 2005 she set up Studio EMMI in London. As well as designing Emmi teaches at various UK universities, including Nottingham Trent and Ravensbourne and lectures regularly nationwide. She is the author of the book: ‘Common Interest: Documents’ published by Index Book and contributes to industry magazines on request, including IDEA, Creative Review, Grafik, Print and Novum, having covered topics ranging from typography to women in design.
Image: Jenni Rope Jenni Rope
Artist Jenni Rope to designed our 2014 visual identity. Rope (b. 1977) uses a variety of media including painting, illustration, book publishing, print design and animation in her work. She studied painting in the Free Art School in Helsinki and London College of Printing followed by studies in graphic design at the University of Art & Design in Helsinki. Rope is the founder of publishing house Napa Books. Rope has also created comics, illustrated books and record covers along with designing prints for companies such as Marimekko.
She paints and builds to create a world where only her aesthetics apply. She uses colours and cut shapes to form living things, angular plants, soft buildings and new natural phenomena. Her paintings are staged abstract landscapes where man-built shapes and nature compete gently with each other. She works using various techniques as acrylic paint, drawing, paper-cutting and animation.
Rope has had solo exhibitions in Berlin, Tokyo, Chicago and Helsinki. Her works have also been exhibited in many group shows in her native Finland and abroad. 1999 she won The Arctic Comics Festival Competition, Kemi Finland and 2008 Young Illustrators Award in animation at the Illustrative Art Forum in Zurich.
Image: Åh Studio Johanna Lundberg and Elin Svensson
Designers Elin Svensson and Johanna Lundberg created the Institute's Reaktio book series, including The Encounters, TV Like Us and The Open Book.
Elin Svensson is a freelance designer and Illustrator based in Stockholm. With a multidisciplinary approach, Elin strives to combine thoughtful ideas with informed aesthetics to create playful and functional work that aims for both the head and the heart. Johanna Lundberg is a Helsinki-based designer for print and digital. She works on a variety of projects from books and magazines to identities and websites. Currently she is in charge of visual communications at Aalto University Digital Design Laboratory, ADDLAB.
Åh [o:h] is a platform for creative collaboration between Lundberg and Svensson. From 2008 to spring 2012, it served as a studio practice for the two designers, producing award winning work from art direction to illustration, publications, branding, stationery and websites. Now Johanna and Elin are pursuing projects individually in the fields of design and illustration.
Janne Räisänen
Berlin-based Finnish artist Janne Räisänen (b.1971) was chosen to design the visual image for the Institute’s website, social media and digital communications for 2015.
Pudasjärvi born Räisänen makes dense works and his paintings are ripe with meaning. He sees himself as primarily an artisan and works accordingly. For him paintings are physical objects - and based on trial and error, his process is considerably guided by the materials used. He uses the expressive tradition and in particular the style known as bad painting, of which the most prominent names are David Salle, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Julian Schnabel, who mixed high and low culture in their art, with varying bad and good taste.
Räisänen studied art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki graduating with M.F.A-degree 1998. He has exhibited widely both internationally and in his native Finland.
Image: Klaus Haapaniemi Klaus Haapaniemi
London-based artist Klaus Haapaniemi designed the Institute's Finnish folklore inspired visual identity 2008. Klaus was also the Creative Director of the Institute's HEL YES! pop-up restaurant and exhibition project 2010.
Klaus became interested in illustration after seeing some well-designed Russian animations on TV when he was only eight years old. After graduating from Lahti Design Institute, he lived in Italy where he worked as a key print designer for Diesel and Diesel Stylelab. Klaus's long list of commercial clients include print collections for Clements Ribeiro, Cacharel, Marimekko and Levis, plus store identity for Selfridges, an ever expanding range of his own published books, ceramics and wall tapestry collections.
Klaus Haapaniemi and designer Mia Wallenius founded a design studio together in January 2010. Their design approach is influenced by nature, Finnish folklore, fantasy and traditional decorative arts with a modern twist. Focusing on Klaus Haapaniemi textile collection, they also work in furniture, fashion, books, events and exhibitions, often collaborating with other designers and studios to create limited edition design pieces.