Characterised by an ambitious and contemporary approach, the design of Nikari furniture is deeply rooted in the Nordic tradition. Restrained and serene, the design respects the essence of wood. Nikari furniture fits naturally into interiors from various periods.

We design and develop our own collection continuously. In addition, we are actively engaged in various furnishing projects in Finland and overseas. Our designers and cabinet makers are often invited to participate in advisory boards of demanding product development and wood architecture projects. More information on consulting services: nikari@nikari.fi

Kari Virtanen

Kari Virtanen (b. 1948) was born and raised in Ostrobothnia. His long career has taken him from being trained by the best of Jurva's woodcarving masters to the pinnacle of contemporary Finnish design.

Virtanen set up his first workshop at the age of 19. His ambitious approach to the craft soon caught the attention of the most powerful figures in Finnish design. His first collaboration partners were Alvar Aalto and Kaj Franck. Kari Virtanen has always been inspired by collaborating with designers and architects. He has been a sought-after partner for designers in need of a skilled cabinetmaker. Virtanen’s works are widely used in public spaces and reception facilities. Kari Virtanen’s hallmark is the pure and restrained design. It evolves from the intended use of the object, its structure and the characteristics of wood. The goal is to create an implicit form. The inconspicuous nature of Virtanen’s work has been acclaimed by the architect Steven Holl who chose Virtanen’s chairs for the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, since “it was not designed”.

In addition to running his own company, Virtanen has contributed to several projects in the field of wood design. He has played a key role in developing training in the field. Since the early 1990's, Kari Virtanen has been one of the leading figures in Fiskars Cooperative for artisans, designers and artists.

Recognitions and project grants

• State Prize for Design 2005
• Bruno Mathsson Award for Nordic Design
• Honorary Member of University of Art and Design Helsinki
• Honourable mentions in Suomi muotoilee - Finland designs exhibition
• Artturi Leinonen Award
• Nurmo culture award
• Association of Interior Architects SIO Furniture Designer of the Year award 1993
• Finnish Forest Association Silver Medal
• The Fruit Bowl series included in the Collections of the Museum of Modern Art (New York) in1993
• The National Council for Design, 3- and 5-year grants
• The Province of Vaasa Arts Council, 1- and 3-year grants

Awarded projects

• State Prize for Design, Artzan range
• Habitare furniture award, Bok chair
• SIO award
• Inspira, Nordic furniture competition, 1st prize
• Seville Expo, Finnish Pavilion design competition team, 5th prize
• Laukaan Puu chair competition, joint 1st prize

Exhibitions since 1975

• First exhibition in Helsinki, with Professor Kaj Franck 1977
• Exhibitions in Artek, Helsinki 1982,1987 and 1989
• Galleria Bronda 1984
• Design Forum 1992
• Suomi muotoilee - Finland designs exhibitions in 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993
• Solo exhibition in Tokyo, Japan, 2003
• Finnish Design 125, Berlin 2001
• In Design Nara and Kyoto, Japan
• Puusepät (Cabinet makers) Exhibition, Fiskars 2005
• Kunsthalle, Helsinki
• Design Museum, Helsinki
• Röhsska Museum, Gothenburg
• Windows on Europe, Wales
• New Form from Finland, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Finland Gestaltet, Landesmuseum Düsseldorf
• Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg
• The Language of Wood, Design Museum, Helsinki, touring exhibition in the USA and Japan
• Finnish Design, Barcelona
• Nord Form, Malmö
• Architektur, Kunsthandwerk, Malerei: Finnland 1900-1990, Munich
• Retretti, Punkaharju
• Finnisches Holz, Hamburg
• Nordiska Galleriet, Stockholm
• Touring exhibitions in Finland
• Several artist group exhibitions
• Several themed exhibitions in Fiskars since 1993

Works in the collections of design museums in Finland and abroad

• Touring group exhibitions of Fiskars artisans, designers and artists
• Gästabordet group exhibition, Finland - Sweden
• Group exhibitions in Finland and abroad 3-5 times a year

Other professional activities

• Committee for the State Art Collection 1990-1992
• Finnish Design Jury (Finland Designs exhibition), two terms
• The Finnish Association of Designers, member of the representative body
• Province of Vaasa Arts Council, Vice-Chairman
• Jurva School of Crafts, Design and Culture, member of the board
• Design Association Konsti, founding member
• Design ombudsman for the Province of Mikkeli, three years
• Fiskars Co-operative for artisans, designers and artists, active contributor for the past 15 years

Teaching

• University of Art and Design Helsinki
• Helsinki University of Technology
• University of Lapland

Rudi Merz

born 31 July 1948 Switzerland

Education

• 1964 – 67  Apprenticeship contract for a cabinet maker, under master Hans Roth, Trubschachen, CH
• 1967 – 69  Apprenticeship contract for an interior architect, under master Peter Künzi, Bern, CH
• 1970 – 71  Traineeship at the Sven Kai-Larsen Architect Office, Stockholm, Sweden
• 1971 – 76  Traineeship at the Yrjö Kukkapuro Interior Architect Office, Kauniainen, Finland

Career

• 1977 - Started cabinet maker and interior designer company
• 1982 - Teacher at the University of Art and Design
• 1990 – 99  Member of the advisory board of the master cabinet maker studies and teacher in Heinola School of Arts and Crafts
• 1993 - Member and teacher of the Educational Federation of Municipalities of the South West Finland
• 1996 Indigo ry, bamboo project in Guinea
• 1996 - Co-operation with Nikari Oy, Fiskars, Finland
• 1996 – 97  Project teacher at the Faculty of Industrial Design in University of Lapland
• 1997 Indigo ry, bamboo project in Guinea
• 2003 - Karjaa centre of education, teacher and member of the advisory board of the cabinet maker master training
• 2009 - Aalto University, Faculty of Forest Products, teacher

Exhibitions and scholarships

• 1982 - participating in many exhibitions
• 1982 1. and 2. prize in KERA/SIO furniture competition with interior architect Kaarina Vainio
• 1983 Finnish Designs -83, honorary mention with interior architect Kaarina Vainio
• 1984 - Member of TAIKO/ORNAMO
• 1991 Member of Arts and Crafts Society in Lohja area
• 1993 Arts Council of Finland: scholarship for exhibition on domestic furniture at the Museum of Lohja
• 1993 Exhibition at the Museum of Lohja
• 1996 Arts Council of Finland: scholarship for designing a furniture collection
• 1996 Member of the Co-operative of Artisans, Designers and Artisans in Fiskars – participation in annual summer exhibitions
• 1998 Arts Council of Finland: scholarship for exhibition costs
• 1998 Exhibition at the Museum of Lohja
• 2002 Finndesign now 02, honorary mention for the chair Spiraali
• 2005 Furniture Foundation Scholarship for an exhibition
• 2005 Arts Council of Finland: scholarship for exhibition costs
• 2005 Exhibition in the Fiskars Kuparipaja together with cabinet maker Kari Virtanen
• 2006 Finnish Association of Designers Ornamo/Taiko: The Artisan of the Year
• 2007 Finnish Cultural Foundation/Foundation of Kalle and Dagmar Välimaa: scholarship
• 2007 Exhibition in the Lohja Library together with painter Jaska Salmi
• 2011 The State artist retirement allowance
• 2011 Lohja City Cultural Award

Yrjö Kukkapuro

• 1933 Born in Wyborg (Finland)
• 1951-52 Imatra Draft School, art studies
• 1955-58 Institute of Industrial Art, interior architect
• 1956 Married to Irmeli Kukkapuro, graphic artist
• 1959 Design Studio Kukkapuro

Marks of esteem

• 1999 Nanjing University of Forestry and Wuxi University of Light Industry, China, Honorary professor
• 2001 University of Art and Design Helsinki, Doctor honoris causa
• 2002 Royal Society of Arts (RSA), London, honorary member

Educational

• 1963-69 Institute of Craft and Design, Helsinki, lecturer
• 1969-74 Helsinki University of Technology, architecture department, lecturer
• 1974-80 University of Arts and Design Helsinki, professor
• 1978-80 University of Arts and Design Helsinki, rector
• 1983- University of Art and design Helsinki specialist lecturer
• 1988-93 Artist professor

Works in permanent collections                

• 1965 Museum Of Modern Art, New York (Ateljee)
• 1971, 1984 Victoria and Albert Museum, London (Karuselli, Remmi)
• 1979, 1981 Designmuseum Helsinki (Karuselli, Remmi)
• 1983, 1996 Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg (Fysio, Alnus Poster)
• 1983, 1987 Kunstindustrimuseum Copenhagen, (Experiment free form, A 500)
• 1985 Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum, Trondheim
• 1985 Kunstindustrimuseet, Oslo
• 1987 Röhsska museet, Göteborg (A 504)
• 1989 Nationalmuseet, Stockholm (Experiment Free Diagonal)
• 1990 Israel Museum, Jerusalem (Sirkus)
• 1991 Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein,, (Karuselli, Saturnus C, Chair 415)
• 1999 Listasafn Islands, Reykjavik (Long Chair)
• 2000 Design Museum Gent (Karuselli)
• 2002 Museo Casabianca, Museo della grafica d’arte, Malo Vicenza (Tattood Chair)

Jenni Roininen

Born 1973 in Espoo, Finland

Education

• 1994 University of Art and Design Helsinki, Department of Interior Architecture and Furniture Design
• 1997 Bachelor of Art
• 2000 Master of Art

Career

• 1998 Young designers DNA-design and architecture-studio
• Interior design and competition participations
• Finalist of Habitare `99 design competition
• 2001-2006 Avarte Oy, Technical designer and interior architect
• 2006 Own Design Office Jenni Roininen - Furniture design, technical design, auditorium planning, interior architect for private homes and public premises
• 2010 Member of the Cooperative of Artisans, Designers and Artists in Fiskars
• 2011 Nikari Oy, Creative Director

Tomoshi Nagano

position : president-director of nagano-mfg.co.ltd

date of birth : 2nd Nov. 1976

born in Kyoto Japan

Career

• 2010 - nagano-mfg.co.ltd trademark Nikari Japan, license manufacturer
• 2005 - 2010 Nikari Oy / Finland
• 2003 - Own office / Japan
• 1998 - 2002 Tetra Ltd. / Japan
• 1996 - 1998 THINK architect office / Japan

Exhibitions

• 2007 - Furniture, Interior Decoration and Design fair HABITARE 07 / Helsinki, Finland
• 2009 - DMY International Design Festival Berlin 2009 Youngsters exhibition / Berlin, Germany
• 2009 - Furniture, Interior Decoration and Design fair HABITARE 09 / Helsinki, Finland
• 2011 - The life design of Finland and Japan -wooden chair - / Nagano, Japan
• 2011 - Charity Exhibition of the Chair for the victims of the East Japan Earthquake / Sendai, Japan
• 2011 - Chair Exhibition at Kurashiki / Okayama, Japan

Motomi Morii

born in Nara, Japan

Education

• ESAG Penninghen, Paris, France
• Helsinki University of Art and Technology, Helsinki, Finland

Career

• 2006-2008 in-house designer and branding manager at Nikari Oy
• 2009- working as a designer in New York City, USA