Paratiisi Arabia
Arabia's famous series Paratiisi by Birger Kaipiainen will celebrate it's 50th year anniversary this year. The beautiful pattern with stylized nature motifs, colorful fruits and flowers, has become a national heritage of Finland. The artist's work was influenced by the art of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, as well as his childhood memories.
The first Paratiisi pieces launched in 1969 were oval bowls and platters decorated with motifs recurring in his art: pansies, berries and fruits. The production was stopped in 1975 which generated a strong reaction in Finnish press and artistic circles. The colorful series combining strong, subtle design with rich decoration was taken back into production in 1987, followed by a black and white version in autumn 2000 and a limitted edition of Paratiisi purple in 2012.