Kerttu Nurminen
Kerttu Nurminen (Rantanen; born 8 March 1943) is a Finnish industrial designer of glass and ceramics. Nurminen studied ceramics at the School of Industrial Design (Taideteollinen oppilaitos) in Helsinki (now part of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture), in 1966–1970; however, she prefers glass over ceramic as material. Among her teachers was Kaj Franck, who was attached to the Nuutajärvi glass works at the time.
Kerttu Nurminen

Tommi Kinnunen · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Birth Name
- Kerttu Rantanen
- Born
- 8 March 1943
- Birthplace
- Lahti, Finland
- Known for
- Glass art; industrial design in glass and ceramic
- Nationality
- Finland.
- Occupation
- designer, glass artist and ceramicist.
- Education
- Aalto University School of Arts and Design and Architecture.
- Honours
- Kaj Franck Design Prize and Finnish State Prize for Design.
- Languages
- Finnish.
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Kerttu Nurminen (Rantanen; born 8 March 1943) is a Finnish industrial designer of glass and ceramics. Nurminen studied ceramics at the School of Industrial Design (Taideteollinen oppilaitos) in Helsinki (now part of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture), in 1966–1970; however, she prefers glass over ceramic as material. Among her teachers was Kaj Franck, who was attached to the Nuutajärvi glass works at the time.
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wikidata · Q11871024 · wikipedia · Kerttu Nurminen
In this article
Biography
Biography
Soon after graduating, Nurminen was recruited by Franck to join the design team at Nuutajärvi, where she remained for her entire 35-year-career, working alongside the likes of Franck and Oiva Toikka, eventually ending up alone as the company's last full-time salaried designer. She has designed a wide range of products, from mass-produced tableware to unique artworks, especially in glass. Although many of her designs are widely known, some even 'household names', she herself always avoided publicity and is not a 'celebrity designer' unlike many of her contemporaries. Among her best-known designs is the Mondo range of glasses and carafs, which has been described as a "modern design classic". Her art pieces often draw inspiration from nature. Many of her designs employ complex design methods such as the 'graal' technique. Nurminen has exhibited actively both home and abroad since the early 1970s. Her works are also included in the permanent collections of several museums, including the Design Museum of Finland, National Museum of Norway, the Victoria and Albert Museum of London, and New York's Museum of Modern Art.
Kerttu Nurminen studied at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. The recorded working language is Finnish. Work by Kerttu Nurminen is recorded in the collections of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Finnish Glass Museum, Art Gallery of Western Australia and Architecture & Design Museum. Distinctions recorded are Kaj Franck Design Prize and Finnish State Prize for Design.

Mondo glassware by designer Kerttu Nurminen
Tommi Kinnunen · oma kuva
Key facts
Key facts
• Birth Name — Kerttu Rantanen • Born — 8 March 1943 • Birthplace — Lahti, Finland • Alma Mater — Taideteollinen oppilaitos • Known for — Glass art; industrial design in glass and ceramic
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1943
Kerttu Nurminen born at Lahti.
2018
Kerttu Nurminen (2018) is digitised and catalogued by Open Library.
Citations
References
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Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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