48. Kati Tuominen-Niittylä
b. 1947
Unique ‘Against the Light’ vessel, 2013 Stoneware. 30.2 cm (11 7/8 in.) high, 38 cm (14 7/8 in.) diameter Produced by Arabia, Helsinki, Finland. Estimate £5,000-7,000 $6,600-9,200 €5,800-8,100 ♠ Provenance Acquired from the artist by the present owner
Finnish ceramicist Kati Tuominen-Niittylä creates high-fred, thin-walled vessels evocative of ancient buckets, sieves, and baskets. As in the present lot, her pieces ofen feature a fat base and subtle handles. In addition to her studio practice, since 1980 Tuominen-Niittylä has served as a designer for the Finnish ceramics company Arabia. Throughout its 140 year history, Arabia has produced pioneering tableware designs that are important expressions of their time, establishing the company as one of Finland’s best known and most highly regarded brands. Tuominen-Niittylä’s work has been exhibited internationally, garnering awards along the way, such as the Finnish State Award for Industrial Art (1984), the Kaj-Frank Design Prize (2007), the Grand Prix and honourable mention (1998) and the Gold Medal (2002) in Mino, Japan, and belongs to several prominent collections, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
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