Mari Martikainen is a versatile creator, designer, entrepreneur, and artist based in Helsinki, working globally.

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Mari starts each design process by familiarizing herself with the company, its history, values, and production. Her design thinking starts with materials and techniques and continues by combining them in a new and surprising way, she feels that she is a kind of inventor, sometimes an innovative and inventive solution to a problem may be the most interesting feature in a product.

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Mari graduated with an MA from Aalto University in 2002 and has since worked extensively with product and graphic design and the visual arts, as well as scenography.

At the moment, her main focus is Mifuko Oy, a fair trade design company with a social mission that works between Finland and Kenya. The nature of Finland, as well as that of Kenya, is important to Mari. The unique Kenyan sun, the local artisans, and the kindness of people, in general, have made a permanent impression on her heart. Working together with the local artisans is a constant joy and inspiration.

 

With her work, Mari wants to support environmental awareness, the circular economy and biodiversity. But she also sees the making of people’s living environments more comfortable as a valuable goal. In her opinion, values should be visible throughout the production chain.