Artek Aalto ColoRing Special Edition Stool 60

Commemorating the centennial of Finland and Japan diplomatic relations, this special edition ColoRing Stool 60 creatively combines the Finnish and Japanese design aesthetics. The soulmate cultures share a love for minimal, meaningful, and functional pieces that combine nature and art. Part of Artek’s FIN/JPN Friendship Collection, which launched at Salone de Mobile in Milan April of 2019, the ColoRing Stools pay ode to old and new. The iconic Stool 60 gets a funky, fresh look in collaboration with Tokyo-based architect and designer Jo Nagaska. Drawing on traditional Japanese craft techniques Udukuri and Tsugaru-nuri, Nagasaka creates an original method that translates into a semi-industrial process.

Called ColoRing, a soft-grained pinewood as surface veneer allows for the one-of-a-kind finish. The softer parts are removed with a hard-haired brush to achieve a unique, uneven surface. Two contrasting yet complimentary colored lacquers are added, then sanded to unveil the layers beneath. The result is irregular patterns that evoke the dynamic depth and colorful contours of topographical maps. These intriguing juxtapositions provide a new and inventive way to appreciate the beauty of wood’s grain.

This new collection still utilizes the same bent-leg technology developed by Alvar Aalto in the 1930’s, and shares the same stackable functionality, long-lasting craftsmanship, and timeless silhouette. Finnish birch trees, aged 60-80 years old, are carefully selected and dried at the factory for one year before being crafted into one of these stools. The production of a single stool requires 45 stages, 25 of which are solely for the unique bent "L-leg." From collaboration to craftsmanship of this collection, teamwork and partnership are at its core – and the iconic design continues to bring people together.