Clear geometric shapes are all about lines. Repeated and simple patterns create lines that help the eye to clearly perceive an object or surface. Geometry gives the whole a sense of proportion.
Phenomenon of the Year: Play
Ceramic artist, designer and creative director of Finarte Marianne Huotari, what does play mean to you?
"Play and storytelling develop the ability to think differently. In an imaginative world, anything is possible."
What makes the theme topical in interior design?
"It's a timeless theme, but now the uncertainty of the global situation is reflected in life. We long for—hope for—better times. To counteract the gloom and worry, I design works and products that bring joy, well-being and focus on optimism and happiness."
What kind of stories do your products tell?
"For example, the Suovilla rug I designed for Finarte was inspired by a childhood memory of seeing cottongrass as a soft rug along a familiar path in my grandmother's woods in Kainuu. For me, the story of a product is part of its authenticity, a sign that it was designed by a person who thinks, feels, and is human. I believe that the story also makes the products more identifiable."