FIN/JPN Friendship Collection

2019 marks the 100-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan. Artek – a quintessentially Finnish company - uses the centennial to explore the relationship between the two countries and unite the two cultures in creative fusion. The result is Artek’s FIN/JPN Friendship Collection, launching at Salone de Mobile, Milan in April 2019. Created in collaboration with leading Japanese and Finnish designers, architects and craftsmen, the collection is comprised of products that offer thoughtful takes on the similarities and differences between Finland and Japan. Despite their geographical separation the countries share a deep kinship; both pursue the essence of a simple life, possess an affinity with nature, a love of silence, a reduced visual language and a respect for craftsmanship. The collection epitomises these qualities, bringing both careful consideration and playfulness to bear, in order to commemorate a century of friendship. One of the marks of friendship is good conversation, and the collection, produced in Japan and Europe, can be seen as a shared, on-going conversation between two cultures. Offering interventions on classic Artek products and contemporary designs, combinations of expertise and traditional craftsmanship from Finland and Japan, the FIN/JPN Collection celebrates this unique “soulmate” relationship.