Tapio Wirkkala: A Poet in Glass and Silver

"Katia : Scandinavian designers have this amazing capability of extracting from their context, from their landscape, from their heritage, something that is truly unique. They are not alone of course, but I think they are a prime example of doing this well. Tapio Wirkkala had a poetic approach to materials that you can see in every single piece he created. It communicates a particularly Nordic sensibility. Tiago : The poetry comes from the sense of place, but especially from expertise, from the deep knowledge of the materials. When you know your materials so well, worked with them for so long, you can start playing with them in ways that transcend the technical. The work becomes expressive. It becomes poetic. That’s what I see in Wirkkala’s work—this deep understanding of glass, of silver, of other materials that allows him to do things that seem effortless but are incredibly complex. Katia : I think there’s definitely a recognizable Portuguese formal language emerging. We have this tradition of ceramics, of textiles, of tilework. And I think contemporary designers are finding ways to reference that heritage without simply copying it. There’s a dialogue happening between tradition and innovation. Tiago : The materials we have here—the stone, the cork, the ceramics—they carry centuries of knowledge. Contemporary designers who engage with those materials seriously, who understand their properties and their cultural resonance, they’re creating work that feels both rooted and contemporary. That’s the sweet spot."