GRAPHIC DESIGNER KARI PIIPPO
Kari Piippo (photographer Lucien den Arend
Graphic designer Kari Piippo graduated from the School of Art and Design
in 1969. His international career was launched by the first prize in 1971 UNESCO
poster competition. Piippo has taught at the University of Art and Design from
1989 to 1997. He has also been a visiting Professor in the Tama Art University
(Tokyo) since 1994. Piippo continues to give poster lectures and workshops worldwide.
Kari Piippo specializes in the design of posters, artwork and business graphics.
Posters’ simplicity, honesty, and colorful beauty appeal to the viewers regardless
of their nationality and background, and thus ensure that the visually coded
message is accurately transmitted. Also the trust and regard of colleges speaks
highly of Piippo’s expertise.
Kari Piippo's poster course at Luxun Academy
of Fine Art in China, 2011
Kari Piippo is one of the
most internationally renowned Finnish graphic designers. He has participated
in all the major international poster competitions and events either as a designer
or as a member of the jury. His work has been repeatedly rewarded by prestigious
domestic and foreign awards such as the State Industrial Artist Award, the Graphic
Artist of the Year 1990, Pro Finlandia medal 2011, IPB gold medal Mexico 1990, Icograda Excellence Award
Chaumont 1990, ITPB 1st Prize Rzeszow 1993, CIIPE 1st Prize Colorado 1999, the
Grand Prix Ecoplakat Triennial, Slovakia 2000, two Bronze Awards in the Graphic
Designers Poster Exhibition, Ningbo, China 2001, Golden Bee Award 2006 and 1st
Prize Poster Biennial Warsaw 2010. Kari Piippo is a member of the world's leading
graphic artists and designers association AGI's (Alliance Graphique Internationale).
Graphic Thinking Encounters-seminar
26.4.2007
In his speech Kari Piippo discussed the challenges of graphic
design through his own experiences. The basis for creative work and successful
design is a good idea. Form can be refined indefinitely, but without a good
idea the design does not lead anywhere. For example business graphic design
requires intimate knowledge of the company’s history, background and surrounding
society.
Graphic designer should also be concerned about how his message
is understood. Creating strange and confusing messages is not difficult. There
is too much poorly designed visual garbage available. Kari Piippo perfects his
own expression by continuous high-speed drawing. Skills grow by repetition and
drawing forces one to examine the object closely. Photographs Piippo uses as
a memory aid for colors.
Kari Piippo: Homage to Shigeo Fukuda, 2010
Katariina Lipsanen
Sources:
Marjut Pitkänen, Kari
Huhtamon Taidesäätiö ja Sari Väyrynen, Lapin yliopisto. Bulletin on the
Encounters-seminar.
Merja Vehmas: Top artists trust the idea of the world class university. Lapin
Kansa 27.4.2007.
Encounters page
Kari Piippo
Lucien den
Arend
Jorma
Hautala
Yrjö Kukkapuro
Antero Toikka