Sami Kallio | Finnish-Swedish Designer, Gothenburg

Sami Kallio was born in 1975 in Helsinki, Finland, and raised in Sweden, where he first learned traditional woodworking techniques such as compression moulding and woodturning. After secondary-school carpentry training and two years of fine art studies, he went on to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in design from HDK — the School of Design and Craftsmanship in Gothenburg — between 2000 and 2005, including an exchange year at the University of Art, Design and Architecture in Helsinki in 2004.

Studio and career

Kallio founded the furniture company Brikolör in Gothenburg in 2009 before establishing his own practice, Sami Kallio Studio, in 2011. He launched his debut collection, “The Finnish Blood in Me”, at the Stockholm Furniture Fair the same year. He has since exhibited at Salone Satellite in Milan and the International Craft Biennial in Cheongju, South Korea, and teaches at his alma mater, HDK Gothenburg.

Design philosophy

Kallio describes his work as a balance of “Finnish melancholy with Swedish humor”, merging handcraft with industrial production. As he has put it: “I’m fascinated by a product’s form and presence in the room. How are the gaps perceived in the design? It’s all about balance, distance, and proportion.”

Selected work

Kallio’s best-known work is the &Tradition “In Between” series, already regarded as a potential future classic. His furniture has also gone into production with Gemla (the Gemyt chair), Karl Andersson & Söner (the Taverna collection) and Horreds (the Levels table), among others, alongside lighting for Konsthantverk and further pieces for Hans K and the Italian manufacturer Crassevig.