What’s new: Arabia X Vuokko
The combination of bold shapes and bright shades is pure Vuokko Nurmesniemi.
THE ARABIA X VUOKKO collection is a bold meeting of two Finnish design icons as Vuokko Nurmesniemi’s colorful patterns meet the clean-lined, timeless shapes of Arabia’s tableware.
Bursting with vibrant hues, the joyful collection includes a range of tableware, a serving tray, patterned napkins, and a striking glass vase with origins reaching back to the 1950s.
The Arabia X Vuokko collection embodies clean lines and timeless design.
In addition to tableware, the collection also includes a serving tray.
The current collection isn’t the first time Arabia and Nurmesniemi have crossed paths. Their story began already in 1945, when a 15-year-old Vuokko Nurmesniemi took a summer job at Arabia’s factory, cutting paper stencils used to print patterns onto ceramics.
After graduating from the Institute of Industrial Arts, she went on to work in Arabia’s art department before moving first to the Nuutajärvi glassworks and then to Marimekko, where none other than Armi Ratia hired her in 1953.
The rest, as they say, is Finnish textile and fashion design history.
Arabia X Vuokko coffee cups resting on the armrest of Nojatuoli 004.
The iconic armchair is part of a collection designed by Antti Nurmesniemi for Vuokko Oy in the 1980s, upholstered with a striped fabric created by Vuokko Nurmesniemi herself.
Throughout her career, Vuokko Nurmesniemi has been drawn to the beauty of simple geometric shapes: the stripe, the square, and the circle. By combining these elements with bold colors, she created strong and striking patterns. These same vibrant tones now appear in the Arabia X Vuokko collection.
The new series features three distinct patterns originally designed as textiles for Nurmesniemi’s own brand, Vuokko Oy. Today, they find fresh expression in tableware designed by Birger Kaipiainen.
The collection’s tableware is based on Arabia’s BK series, originally designed by ceramic artist Birger Kaipiainen.
The dotted Kraklee pattern made its debut in 1964.
The yellow-based Kraklee pattern was created in 1964. Made up of abstract circular shapes, the design captures a sense of movement and spontaneity.
Designed in 1974, the Pieni 4-raita is one of Nurmesniemi’s most iconic patterns.
The 2-väri pattern appears in lovely shades of red and pink.
The collection features but two interpretations of Nurmesniemi’s signature stripes. Designed in 1974, the classic Pieni 4-raita stripe pattern appears here in a vibrant palette of spring-inspired hues. The bold 2-väri pattern, glowing in shades of pink and red, offers a more avant-garde take on her graphic language.
Originally designed for textiles, the prints’ colors have been meticulously translated onto the collection’s objects. Even the smallest details – like the intentional overlapping of color areas – are faithfully duplicated on the surface of each piece.
The Arabia X Vuokko vase is available in three soft shades. Featured here in a fresh spring green.
The collection is crowned by a delicate vase originally designed by Nurmesniemi in the 1950s in collaboration with the Nuutajärvi glassworks. The graceful Vuokko vase is the perfect companion for vibrant blooms or thin branches alike.
The table is all set! What is your favourite Vuokko product?
See also:
• Kaikki Arabian tuotteet >
• Read also: Vuokko and Antti Nurmesniemi’s studio home in Helsinki >
Text: Susa Pääkkönen Images: Arabia
Published on 2 Apr, 2025
