PIRI BLUE and Other Colours 13.9.‒7.12.2025

In the fall, the Craft Museum of Finland will be taken over by designer Markku Piri’s retrospective exhibition PIRI BLUE and Other Colours in honor of the artist’s anniversary year. This magnificent exhibition opens the door to Piri’s diverse work and showcases his artistic journey through new pieces and gems from past decades. The exhibition will be on display at the Craft Museum of Finland from September 13 to December 7, 2025.

PIRI BLUE and Other Colours offers visitors the opportunity to explore Piri’s groundbreaking work, which seamlessly combines design, craftsmanship, and art into a harmonious whole. Piri’s life’s work sparkles with an abundance of colours and materials, which are also reflected in the exhibition. Themes such as "Treasures" and "Piri Blue" present a variety of art glass, textiles, and graphic printed fabrics from different decades. Particularly highlighted is Piri’s most renowned shade of colour – blue – which appears in his works as a longing, mystical, and joyful element. Additionally, the exhibition features visual identities created for the European Athletics Championships in 1994 and the World Championships in 2005, as well as examples of Piri’s stage and costume designs. A key theme, "Me, Others, and a Man’s Path," offers perspectives on the designer’s growth story. "The Renaissance Ideal" theme unveils a wealth of design, ornamentation, colours, and Piri’s relationship with Italy, while "Inspired by Nature" draws from the harmony of nature and various textures.

Among the highlights of the exhibition are stunning art glass installations, whose lighting reveals the magic of glass, as well as iconic blue patterns designed for Finlayson, such as Tuuli and Sato. Also on display are various period costumes and stage productions that reflect Piri’s artistic skill and creativity.

PIRI BLUE and Other Colours offers a chance to see and experience the history and present of Finnish design through Piri’s unique works. Be enchanted by masterpieces of Finnish design that tell a story of creativity, innovation, and artistic talent, while providing a fascinating glimpse into the career of one of Finland’s most prominent designers. 

Markku Piri has actively contributed to the Craft Museum of Finland’s collection, which includes over 3,000 objects from his work. These include articles, photographs, fabric samples, sketches, and artworks that together illustrate his artistic expertise and professional history from his student years onward. Piri’s own contributions have significantly enriched the collection, as he has provided valuable additional information on photographs and highlighted the development of Finnish design.

A new version of the exhibition will be compiled for the Great Hall of the Finnish Glass Museum in Riihimäki in early 2026.

Markku Piri

Designer and artist Markku Piri (b. 1955) began his career as a textile artist but later expanded into other materials. Piri has designed home textiles, clothing, glassworks, ceramics, tiles, wallpapers, hotel interiors, theater costumes and sets – including for Karita Mattila – and has produced concerts, taught, and lectured. He was also responsible for designing the visual identity of Helsinki 2000 – European Capital of Culture.

Piri has worked and exhibited in Finland, the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy. In the 2000s, he meticulously restored the historic Huittinen Old Parsonage (built in 1826) using traditional methods, bringing it back to its former splendor.

Throughout his career, Piri has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Finnish State Design Award (1986), the Satakunta Cultural Award (2004), the Pro Finlandia Medal (2017), and the Grand Prize of the Finnish Cultural Foundation (2018).

In 2020, the publishing house Siltala released Piri’s memoir, Muodoton elämä. 

Since 1992, the Craft Museum of Finland has preserved a comprehensive and growing collection of the artist’s works and sketches in collaboration with Piri.