Maker’s Spotlight – Tuomas Markunpoika

We love Tuomas Markunpoika’s work! The Finnish-born, Amsterdam-based designer studied at Lahti Institute of Design and continued his education at Design Academy Eindhoven. Since graduating in 2012, Markunpoika’s work has been gaining international recognition and acclaim. In 2013, the designer’s project, “Engineering Temporality” collection was nominated for London Design Museum’s Furniture Design of the Year.

Markunpoika founded Studio Markunpoika as a way to straddle design and art, industry and craft. His work is a reflection of the designer’s (courtesy of Gallery Fumi) “attraction for the interaction between the physical and metaphysical world.” The pieces he designs are not just “objects;” rather, they present past memories and the emotions tied to them. Markunpoika’s hope is that we study, explore, and reflect beyond the obvious and predictable meaning of the object.

The designer’s thesis was based upon his grandmother’s battle with Alzheimers… in such, his pieces work to create a “memory for his objects.” It is clear that the idea of memory and memories is of the utmost importance to the designer. Functionality is more than basic; studied further, it can present a sense of “mystery and wonder.”

Using a variety of materials in different mediums, Markunpoika’s projects run the gamut from industrial design to limited edition collections and commissioned, one-off works. Pushing the envelope further, in 2018 the designer debuted a collection titled, “Contra Naturam” (the translation from Latin is: against nature). The crude pieces are part of a series in (courtesy of Surface Magazine), a response to what Markunpoika perceives as a “flatness” in contemporary design. Unique to this collection is that the furniture is finished with “tadelakt,” a traditional Moroccan plaster that is made from limestone. This material is typically reserved for sinks and bathtubs; however Markunpoika’s application of the pastel-colored plaster over glue, cement, Styrofoam blocks, and glass fiber prior to waxing results in a shiny finish.

Courtesy of a conversation with the artist for Helsinki Design Week, specifically about “Contra Naturam”, ‘“There’s nothing new about hiding the inner workings of things, but I think it’s very interesting to look at how it’s usually done in a kind of disingenuous way. I like to be sincere about the hiding, to make it part of the concept of the work. It’s fake, yes, but it’s also a celebration of the fake.”

With his range, we are anxiously awaiting Markunpoika’s next project… it is sure to be creative and innovative!

Visit Tuomas Markunpoika’s website for more inspiration!