Design Professor Oiva Toikka: one of the biggest names in Finnish glass design
For his imaginative, rich and bold glass art, Professor Oiva Toikka has received numerous awards, including the Lunning Prize, the Pro-Finlandia Medal, the World Glass Now 85 award, the Kaj Frank Design Prize and the Prince Eugene Medal.
Probably Toikka's best-known works are gathered in Iittala's Bird Collection. Every year since 1973, Oiva Toikka has developed a new object for the bird collection in collaboration with the glassblowers at the Nuutajärvi Glass Factory. So far, over 300 pieces have been created. Today's collection still includes 43 different bird species.
In honor of the famous designer, Iittala carries another collection by Oiva Toikka since 2021. Under the name "The Curious mind of Oiva Toikka", there are numerous products based on the original sketches and designs that Toikka made during his time at the Iittala glass factory and which remained unseen until then.