/ DESIGN ICON /
Eero Aarnio
His use of bold colors, organic forms and a plethora of materials changed furniture design.
By Ian McMaster
Photography courtesy of Eero Aarnio Archive
EERO AARNIO WAS BORN ON JULY 21, 1932, in the Kallio district of Helsinki, Finland. While his childhood was marked by the struggles of World War II (Kallio was one of the most bombarded districts in Helsinki), Aarnio’s need to create was relentless.
Pencil drawings on carefully unwrapped packing paper, as well as homemade clay toys and model planes made of firewood, were Aarnio’s initial works of art. This interest in, and ability to work with, different materials would eventually help define Aarnio’s legacy as one of the great innovators of modern furniture design.