Yrjö Kukkapuro
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A late 1960s 'Carousel' armchair, for Haimi Finland.
Black, rotation fiberglass seat shell with leather upholstery. Manufacturer label. Width 80 cm, total height 90 cm.
Wear due to age and use. Re-upholstered.
Artist
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.