Maire Gullichsen

One of the four founding members of the Finnish Furniture company Artek, Maire Gullichsen was a patron of the arts who provided helpful funding for several art-related ventures. Her most well-known venture was Artek. A student of arts, in the 1950’s she designed lighting fixture M510 for the company. Offering a completely different style, Gullichsen used the available material at Artek to create a piece that was softer and more delicate than the typical pieces from the line. Providing a subdued light, her lamp perfectly matches the natural and organic aesthetic Aalto was famous for but she achieves this quality in a very feminine way. Gullichsen was a promoter for the Finnish visual arts and the catalyst responsible for creating one of the most well known furniture companies in the world.