Aalto University Professor Receives State Prize For Design

The national arts councils of the Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike) have awarded state prizes to distinguished artists, artist groups and art communities. A state prize is awarded in recognition of outstanding work completed in the last three years or for a long and distinguished artistic career or activity in the field.

The state prize for design was awarded by the National Council for Architecture and Design to Professor Kirsi Niinimäki (b. 1963), a textile artist who has dedicated her career to studying the environmental impact of the textile industry and fast fashion and to finding solutions to the problems it causes. As a professor at Aalto University, she has highlighted the complex relationships between design, production methods and consumer choices.

In her work, Kirsi Niinimäki aims to create new and accessible scientific knowledge about sustainable fashion and the textile industry. Her internationally prominent work promotes collaboration between different actors, strategic design and the circular economy. Bringing this vision to the education of future designers is crucial for the development of the industry.

Through her teaching at Aalto University, Kirsi Niinimäki has made a lasting impact. Through her writings, lectures and collaborations with industrial partners, she actively and widely shares her expertise in the field of design. With the prize, the National Council for Architecture and Design wishes to highlight the importance of research in the development of design, the role of sustainable development in the future of the sector and Finland’s role in promoting these.

The national prizes are decided by the National Arts Councils, which act as the expert bodies of the Arts Promotion Centre. Jenni Haukio, spouse of the President of the Republic, presented the awards at the Little Finland pavillion in Helsinki on 13 December 2022.