Tomorrow's Vintage Collectibles: Sanna Annukka

For this first edition of Tomorrow's Vintage Collectibles, I'd like to introduce you to my favorite contemporary print and textile artist, Sanna Annukka. I'll try not to gush too much, but I adore just about everything she creates:

 

Soul Birds (wooden blocks)

Sanna is a Finnish/English illustrator and print maker who has received quite a lot of attention over the last few years.  (Here's a link to a short article about her in Vogue).   I discovered her work a couple of years ago, but I'm at a loss to tell you just how that happened. Anyway, I was instantly smitten with her artwork.  At the time, she had done the album artwork for Keane's Under the Iron Sea and some really wonderful lithographs, and was in the process of creating her initial textile line for Marimekko.

Sanna says that she is very influenced by The Kalevala, a collection of folklore poetry that is considered the national epic of Finland. She also says that she is heavily influenced by the "forests, lakes and wildlife" around the Finnish village where she spent her childhood summers. I like the bright, funky 70s iconic feel that most of her work has:

The Maidens

This is one of my favorites.  Unfortunately her limited edition screenprints are priced out of my reach and I currently do not have any of them.  Perhaps someday! I'd like to hang a print of hers on my wall.

As for my personal collection, I just happened to get really lucky around Christmastime last year:

 

 

The dishtowel will remain unwashed and
unpressed for preservation purposes. 

This set is from her Christmas 2009 Kalevala range for Marimekko.  The tin and dishtowel were available here in the U.S., but the entire set with the cookie cutters were only available overseas. I emailed the New York Kiitos Marimekko concept store for help in obtaining the European version.  It just so happened that one of the salespeople had received a set from Finland as a gift and was willing to sell to it to me.  How nice!

 I also have two of her tiny Marimekko pill boxes

Over the past two years Sanna's work has really grown in popularity and her art is very collectible, and I believe it will remain highly sought after.  If you're like me, you may not be able to collect the high end of her work, but many of her textiles and prints for Marimekko are moderately priced.  If you're interested, you can check retailers such as Always Mod, FinnStyle, and stores that carry Marimekko products for the fabric, paper goods, kitchen ware, and accesories.   Of course, you can also look through the shop on Sanna's own website.  If you live overseas, you'll have a much easier time finding her print work and special packaging that she does for various companies, such as the design for this Marks and Spencer biscuit tin.   

Sanna says that she is working on a children's picture book.  You can probably guess that I'm going to be one of the first in line for a copy when it is published!

Edit 2016 -  Sanna Annukka has illustrated TWO children's books: The Fir Tree and The Snow Queen.

Unless otherwise marked, all images copyright Sanna Annukka courtesy of http://www.sanna-annukka.com .