The designs of Maija Puoskari are defined by her love and appreciation of the natural world and the simple life of her childhood.
Born in Tornio, a small town in northern Finland, Puoskari spent most of her childhood outdoors. Her passion for nature led her to train and work as a florist, which continued to inform her work as she pursued a bachelor’s degree in Ceramic and Glass design, followed by a Master of Arts in Applied Art and Design from Aalto University.
One can easily see Puoskari’s enthusiasm for the natural world in her designs, which evoke an organic simplicity and ecological cleanliness in both form and substance.
In form, Puoskari’s designs often borrow from the natural world, such as the acorns of her Terho lamp series (“terho” means “acorn” in Finnish), or her Hippa lamp, which she refined as part of her contribution to the Puhdetyö exhibition for Helsinki Design Week 2019.
Interested in more than formal naturalism, though, Puoskari ensures that all her designs maintain and promote an immense respect for nature through her choice of materials, which are always ecologically-sourced and renewable.
Today, when not operating her own design studio out of Helsinki or attending exhibitions of her work around the world, it’s a fair bet that you will still find Maija Puoskari indulging in her favourite recreational activities in the green spaces outside of the city: fishing, gathering mushrooms, and campfire-watching.
