Sirpa grew up around the Finlayson cotton mill in Tampere, Finland where two generations of her family were employed. Immersed as she was in both the industrial world of textile production and the clean, colorful aesthetic of Finnish design, it is no surprise she is so passionate about fabrics and the artistic possibilities of print and textile design. Nor that she chose to intern in college on the factory floor of a textile printing mill, eventually becoming the third generation at Finlayson as a textile print designer.
Artistically, she draws inspiration from every day life and is strongly influenced by traditional folk art as well as contemporary fine art. She holds a deep respect for the history of textiles, especially handcrafted world textiles. Color choices are an essential component of her work and she is skilled at reducing a design to its essence. But she is also grounded by her familiarity with the serious practicalities of industrial production, coupled with a straightforward sincerity, which has proven quite effective at developing and managing design departments.
Eventually Sirpa established her own design studio, Design iivi, while continuing to work as a consultant for Finlayson. She has designed for a number of products besides textiles, from paper products to ceramics and theater costumes. Her customers have ranged from small boutique producers to major firms in Europe, Asia and America.
Her talent was recognized over the years by the award of three separate grants to assist her work, and a number of her designs are found in the prestigious Museum of Printed Textiles in Mulhouse, France. She was a founding member of MODUS, a Finnish design and craft organization, and has served on the Pirkanmaa Regional Arts Council.
Sirpa moved to the United States in 2005 and now lives in northern New Hampshire with her husband, two daughters and a dog named Max. She is currently concentrating on running her own design studio and design management consultancy. If you are interested in her work or require further information, please download her RESUME and drop her an email via the CONTACT page. Sirpa welcomes new commissions and collaborations and would be pleased to hear from you.