Timo Tapani Sarpaneva (1926 – 2006) was a visionary artist who elevated Finnish glass to the global stage, winning numerous Grand Prix awards and worldwide acclaim. He treated glass as a living element, famously using steam-blown techniques to create the "i-line" collection and the iconic Festivo candleholders, which resemble rugged chunks of glacial ice. Sarpaneva was a master of atmosphere and light; his work—including the red "i" logo he designed for Iittala—remains a symbol of modernist perfection and a cornerstone of 20th-century aesthetic history.

(Timo Sarpaneva photo: Abitare)