I want to do everything myself! – Akseli Gallen-Kallela and design

Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s (1865–1931) work in the field of applied arts ranges extensively from household textiles, furniture and book covers to insignia and uniforms.

The Kalevala-themed frescoes and the textiles and furniture in the Iris Room brought international fame to the artist in the Paris Exposition in 1900. The textiles and furniture designed by Gallen-Kallela appealed to the jury with their everyday beauty, and brought recognition to Finland, which was dreaming of independence, and to the “Finnish style”.

Cross-references and recurrent themes in traditional art forms and experimental designs tell their story of Gallen-Kallela’s aspirations to achieve a life in which the boundaries between life and art would eventually disappear: “Talents that are stronger and, above all, more complete than me will influence in these different fields and develop them as experts in the future. Furthermore, I need the stimulus brought by interesting and exciting experiments. And finally, I do not think it is art alone that I serve with all this. Art is life, religion – everything.”