Olavi Hänninen, Finnish designer of the Triennale chair

Olavi Hänninen (1920-1992) is a Finnish designer little known outside Scandinavia but essential in the weave of modern Nordic design. A graduate of the Central Institute of Industrial Arts in Helsinki, he signed from the 1950s for the publishers Mikko Nupponen and Lukkiseppo chairs, armchairs and tables in laminated beech, some of which would win the Milan Triennale. His Mosi chair (1958), Adam armchair and bent birch stool are the most identifiable pieces of a rigorous and lyrical body of work.

The Mosi chair and Adam armchair remain Olavi Hänninen's most identifiable pieces. Scandinavian vintage furniture to find for those wanting a rare Finnish signature, at still very accessible prices vs Aalto or Tapiovaara.