The four most exciting names in Finnish design right now

Habitare 2019 will present the four most exciting Finnish designers whom Finland and the world should be following right now: Laura Itkonen, Kristoffer Heikkinen, Hemmo Honkonen and Rasmus Palmgren. Each of the exhibited designers has a strong personal style, and each has a proven track record that demonstrates their skills. Each of the designers will have their own stand at Habitare Talentshop in September 2019. Talentshop is part of The Block, an area for new design at Habitare. The featured designers were selected from among 28 applicants.

“Now being held for the fifth time, Habitare’s Talentshop annually presents the most exciting, up-and-coming Finnish designers whom audiences in Finland and around the world should be following. Talentshop highlights designers who are in the early stages of their career, but who have already established their own designer identity and shown proof of their skills. What all the selected designers have in common is originality in their ideas, combined with uncompromising quality and refined implementation”, say the Talentshop curators Krista Kosonen, Elina Aalto and Saara Renvall from Imu Design. Talentshop is curated and produced by Imu Design, in collaboration with Habitare.

Laura Itkonen

Laura Itkonen is a Helsinki-based designer specialising in ceramics, and a visual designer. She works in her own studio, exploring and experimenting with the potential of various materials and techniques and their combinations, to achieve the most interesting result. In Laura’s work, the main focus is on visually detailed architectural ceramics and sculptural everyday objects that combine art and design. “Art with function” is her source of inspiration and the common thread that runs through her design process, while making things by hand is her most important design tool. Thanks to an artist’s grant, she is currently exploring the combination of 3D printing and traditional craft techniques in studio work.

www.lauraitkonen.com

@laura_itkonen

Kristoffer Heikkinen

Kristoffer Heikkinen graduated as a furniture designer from the Lahti University of Applied Sciences Institute of Design in 2017, and is currently a Master of Arts student at Aalto University. Products designed by Heikkinen have been presented at exhibitions in Milan, Stockholm and Finland. Kristoffer feels that he has always been a creative builder who enjoys working with his hands. Often, he finds himself immersed in thinking about how things and objects have been created and how they can be improved. He strives to design products that answer a need and that solve problems in a simple and functional manner. His design process emphasises experimentation and seeking new solutions. His design philosophy is about simplicity, ease of use, and longevity, without forgetting recyclability.

@kristofferheikkinen

Hemmo Honkonen

Hemmo Honkonen graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in furniture design from Malmstens Linköping University in 2017, and he is currently completing his Master’s degree on the Aalto University Product and Spatial Design programme. Prior to his design studies, Honkonen graduated as a luthier-artisan from the Ikaalinen College of Crafts and Design. He is interested in exploring the properties of materials and the interaction between the user and the product. He strives to create both visually and functionally insightful products that put material properties and user experience at the centre.

www.hemmohonkonen.com

@hemmohonkonen

Rasmus Palmgren

Rasmus Palmgren is a designer who seeks new perspectives for everyday objects. Clever, innovative and simple ideas motivate him. It is important to him in his work to find a balance between materials, dimensions and production. Through carefully considered solutions, he wants to create honest, timeless and meaningful designs. Rasmus has a Bachelor’s degree in cabinetmaking from Malmstens Linköping University in Stockholm, and he is currently working towards a Master’s degree in design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Rasmus has work experience with, for example, Nikari and Claesson Koivisto Rune.

@rasmus.palmgren

More information:

Habitare, communications manager Eva Kiviranta, tel. +358 40 775 6609, eva.kiviranta@messukeskus.com

Imu Design, www.imudesign.org,

Saara Renvall tel. +358 50 585 7399, saara@imudesign.org

Elina Aalto tel. +358 50 511 8888, elina@imudesign.org

For images of the designers and their products, see the Messukeskus image bank.

Habitare

Habitare, the largest furniture, design and interior decoration event in Finland, will be held at Messukeskus in Helsinki, from 11 to 15 September 2019. Habitare offers experiences and ideas on interior decoration, and on the functioning and look of homes and other spaces. Habitare highlights the ideas and works by a new generation of designers, and sparks discussion. The International Friend of Habitare in 2019 will be Alberto Alessi. To be held concurrently with Habitare are HiFi, and the Habitare Pro professionals event. | www.habitare.fi | @HabitareFair | www.facebook.com/habitare | #habitare2019