Alvar Aalto (1898-1976), born in Kuortane, Finland, left his mark on the history of design with his innovations in form and line. He first worked in his own architectural firm before designing furniture, as a natural extension of his architectural thinking. His first furniture design, created in 1929, was for the Paimio Sanatorium in Finland. A project carried out in collaboration with his wife Aino.

Born Aino Marsio (1894-1949), Aino Aalto began her career with the architect Oiva Kallio before joining Alvar Aalto in 1924. Together, they collaborated on iconic projects such as the Paimio Sanatorium, the Villa Mairea in Noormarkku and the Savoy restaurant in Helsinki. An accomplished designer, Aino Aalto is recognized for her work in interior architecture, furniture design and the creation of objects in glass, ceramics and textiles. She also plays a key role at Artek as Design Director and Managing Director.

They founded Artek in 1935, together with Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl, to distribute their designs. Since its creation, Artek has been dedicated to designing and distributing modern design, combining functionality and aesthetics.