Yrjö Kukkapuro, a set of six chairs, "University chair", Avarte oy, Finland. The model was designed in 1983.
Black painted metal tubes and grey lacquered plywood. Stackable. Height to seat ca. 45.5 cm, width of the seat 42 cm. Total width 52 cm, height 88 cm. Marked with paper label: Taideteollinen korkeakoulu.
Colour losses with some rust. Stains, hard wear. One light coloured.
Taideteollinen korkeakoulu/ The University of Art and Design Helsinki, since 2010 Aalto University, together with Helsinki University of Technology and the Helsinki School of Economics.
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.