Designer · Finland · 1926–2006
Timo Sarpaneva
Timo Sarpaneva (1926–2006) – Finnish glass designer, with Iittala from 1950, creator of the i-linja line (1956), whose mark became its logo.
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About the designer
- Lifetime
- 1926–2006
- Country
- Finland
Timo Sarpaneva was born in 1926 in Helsinki. In 1948, he graduated from the Institute for Industrial Arts (Central School of Industrial Design) in Helsinki, and from 1950 worked for Iittala glassworks.
In 1954, he won the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale for the Orkidea, Kajakki and Lansetti series, and in 1957 a second Grand Prix. For Iittala, he designed the i-linja line (1956), whose mark became the company's logo, the Jääpuikko glassware (1958) and the Finlandia series (1964–1970); Ahtojää glass was shown at Expo 67. He also designed textiles (Kukko, 1951), a cast-iron pot (1959/1960) and Suomi porcelain for Rosenthal (1976).
He received the Lunning Prize (1956), Pro Finlandia (1958), the title of Honorary Royal Designer for Industry (1963), an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art (1967) and an award in Faenza (1976). His work is held by Cooper Hewitt (10 objects) and Centre Pompidou; retrospectives were held at the American Craft Museum (1994) and the Design Museum in Helsinki (2002). He died in 2006 in Helsinki and was buried at Hietaniemi Cemetery.
Key designs
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Orkidea
art glass, Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale 1954
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i-linja
glass line, whose mark became Iittala's logo
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Jääpuikko
glass
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Suomi
porcelain
