Oiva Toikka

Oiva Toulka was born in 1931 and was a Finnish glass artist who became world famous for his collection of glass birds for Iittala. His imaginative, rich and bold glassware deviates from the rational aesthetic of Nordic design. During his long career, Oiva Toikka has created important works in glass. In 1964 he designed the Kastehelmi line of glassware for Iittala. The series was produced for more than 20 years and in 2010 Iittala reintroduced a selection of the most popular pieces from the range to celebrate Toikka's 50 years with the brand. While glass has always been Toikka's favourite material, he has also worked with ceramics - he originally studied ceramics and his career began in the art department in Arabia.

Another example of his creativity are the pieces designed for Magis ' Me Too collection - the same collection that includes the sympathetic Puppy and the colourful Trioli children's chair by Eero Aarnio. Oiva Toikka has enjoyed an international career and has won numerous awards, including the Lunning Prize, Pro Finlandia Medal, World Glass Now 85 Award, Kaj Franck Design Prize and Prince Eugen Medal.