Eero Aarnio

Eero Aarnio of Helsinki introduced his Ball Chair in 1963, one year after starting his own office. He followed suit with his Bubble Chair, floating Pastil Chair, and Tomato Chair. Using mostly plastic and fiberglass (though he would later abandon fiberglass due to its potential danger to manufacturers), Aarnio’s chairs implemented simple geometric forms and were thus popular as set pieces in 1960s science fiction films, and remain recognizable as such. Many of his furniture designs display a playful element, and currently Aarnio’s new designs include toys, children’s furniture, and combinations of both.