The Finnish Association of Interior Architects, SIO, has elected Yuki Abe as the 2021 Furniture Designer. Yuki Abe (b. 1974) graduated from the University of Art and Design, UIAH, as an interior architect and furniture designer in 2005 and had studied before that at the Lahti Institute of Design as well as the Musashino Art University in Tokio.
Abe works in Mottowasabi Oy founded by him. He is also a partner and a design director at Luomoa Oy.
Yuki Abe has mainly designed furniture for the Finnish furniture company Vivero, which is known for its highquality Finnish furniture for public spaces, although he has also designed tables for Selka-line and acoustic partitions for Barrisol.
According to the jury, furniture designed by Yuki Abe is sympathetic and playful with an emphasis on polished details and usability. Abe’s designs are distinctive and inventive, and the final products combine Japanese and Finnish minimalistic ethics beautifully. Abe is productive and has gained success in a challenging field; Finnish furniture design needs talents like him and high-quality products with a twist.
This year, the decision based on the suggestions and applications was made by the interior architect (SIO) Tiina Närkki from the 2020 Interior Architecture Agency; the interior architect (SIO) Ari Kanerva, the previous Furniture Designer of the Year; the interior architect (SIO) Petra Lassenius, and the architect (SAFA) Eero Lundén. SIO’s secretary general, Minna Borg, acted as the secretary of the board.
Further information, interview and image requests:
Secretary General Minna Borg, Finnish Association of Interior Architects SIO,
office@sio.fi, tel. +358 (0)46 878 2573
Yuki Abe, yuki@mottowasabi.com, tel. +358 (0)50 587 1660
Images to download
Ornamo image bank: https://www.ornamo.fi/fi/kuvapankki/
