A Warm Touch of Scandinavia

One of Finland’s celebrated designers, Ristomatti Ratia, unveiled his “Northern Lights” art glass collection at Design Finland in the Pacific Design Center recently. Son of the founder of legendary Marimekko Design, Ratia has won honors for designs in many fields, including modular furniture systems, interiors and wallpaper collections. He took a break from the showroom party at Design Finland to discuss his country, his work and the design world in general.

Question: How did the small country of Finland come to occupy a major presence in the design world?

Answer: They had to rebuild after World War II, and instead of copying from Europe, the whole country started to do new stuff from scratch. The manufacturers went to Finnish designers for fabrics, glass, furniture--everything--and the whole movement spread. There were strong characters leading this movement, including architect-designer Alvar Aalto, whose centennial we are celebrating this year, and by 1960 Finland was winning international awards.

Q: So good design became an everyday commodity?

A: Yes, it was accessible to everyone, not glorified. I’ve seen Aalto chairs in ordinary households. Also, the Finnish people probably have the highest reading level in the world, and news of designers is part of the daily paper. Finnish designers are honored like your Olympic athletes.

Q: Your mother founded Marimekko Design, and you worked there from 1967 to 1983. They’re known worldwide for brilliant textiles, clothing and home products. How much did that respond to the country’s long gray winters and indoor life?

A: Marimekko brightened up the Finnish homes with powerful prints in rich, deep colors, so beautiful that people began framing them. And they made thick blankets wonderful to crawl under in the cold winter nights and the massive candles, now coming back into vogue, that provided the wonderful warm light we needed for dark days. Our family sold Marimekko in 1985, but I still do designs for them.

Q: What inspired your new glass collection?

A: I got tired of being a mass-production person. I was making small, inexpensive glass cups with votive candles, and they sold by thousands--the zillions! A Springfield, Ill., company called Design Ideas distributes them here. Suddenly I wanted to do something better. My “Northern Lights” collection is 120 signature pieces. This is the first time I am doing things which are not affordable for everybody. These are exclusive artist pieces and are an experiment--a tryout.

Q: The colors are so rich and beautiful--what is special about Finnish glassware?

A: Finland is known for its wonderful glass from master glass blowers. My pieces are hand-blown, most of them without mold. I am not a glassblower, but I am being born again as a glass designer. Many of the pieces hold candles, and when they are lit, they make a warm, sensual light.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: With the glassware I want to do more of the theatrical stuff, such as the large ones with the flower inside. This is a new, elegant way to decorate. I’m building up my Ratia brand for much interior design--that’s the big picture.

Q: Speaking of the big picture, what’s the future when you look at the larger field of design?

A: In furniture we will be thinking “nothing, nothing, nothing.” Looking ahead at the demands of furniture design, I am trying to figure out how to hide everything. Television and audio systems and computers will disappear--you could say less will be more. There are better solutions than the media cabinet. Right now we are still living in the Stone Age where technology furniture is concerned. Look at computer tables--there is no elegance, nothing that will go into a museum. The technology itself is still way ahead of the furniture. We are getting so overwhelmed with information, we need peace.

Q: Has Finland gone high-tech?

A: The Finnish people may be the most wired people in the world--even the 7-year-olds have mobile phones. I think designers should stop turning out new chairs and do something people really need. I’ve seen a few young designers in Helsinki doing cutting-edge work. One design is a Net-surfer system that includes a chair where you can lie down. Another is an elegant box that opens, letting the TV rise to the top. People in New York apartments are much closer to Finns, who also live in apartments. In California, you have lots of space and can set aside a video room or a computer room, but when you have to live right with the technology, it must be designed to disappear. TV, this big eye watching you, is probably the biggest enemy of your sex life.