Sami Ruotsalainen (b.1978) is a Finnish designer living and working in Helsinki. He holds an MA in ceramic & glass design (2005) from the University of Art and Design Helsinki. As a designer, Sami Ruotsalainen is interested in the esthetics of everyday life. He has a keen interest in designing everyday objects, and the problem solving for creating the good life, both functional and esthetic. His has worked as a ceramics, glass and textile designer for Finnish companies such as Arabia, Iittala and his current long-term employer Marimekko. In 2002-2003 he was invited as a designer in residence to Gifu prefecture in Japan, and has since been working with a number of Japanese ceramic and other design companies.
Apart from his industrial work, Sami Ruotsalainen designs and works on small-scale production and unique pieces with different artisans. While formally trained in ceramics and glass design, Sami also works a lot with other materials such as textile and paper. Yet, ceramics and glass remain his primary mediums. Characteristic of his artwork and unique pieces is a strong artisanal feeling, as well as understanding of the materials, and pushing the materials to their boundaries while respecting the nature of the substance. Many of his pieces are taken to an atypical scale, yet often the pieces are reminiscent of the daily objects’ forms and shapes, almost as a fantastic echo of the everyday life. In his work careful precision meets delicate understanding of materials and forms, and the proportions are of great importance. His works have been broadly exhibited in both in Finland (e.g. Kiasma – Finnish Museum of Modern Art, and Design Museum Helsinki) and internationally, including in France, the UK, Germany, Ireland, Iceland, China, Japan, Korea, and the United States.
