Tapio Periäinen’s book Soul in Design: Finland as an Example gives a regionalist interpretation to the spirit of Finnish design of the 1980s. The book showcases examples from various fields: furniture, textiles, ceramics, tableware, fashion, interiors, industrial and commercial products, jewellery, glassware, graphics, and art pieces. Periäinen is both an architect and a social scientist, and he acted as the managing director for the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design between 1975–1994. Soul in Design discusses design examples from the viewpoints of trends, functionality, tradition, authenticity and nature.
The message of the book could be summarised as follows: behind all the superficiality, the international anonymity and the trends of the market an honest national culture, that follows its own inherent logic, lives and thrives; a culture which is conceived by unique genes in every country. Finnish design and its basic principles may have a substantial ethical message in the dialogue of European cultures when the living environment of the future is shaped and formed.
— Tapio Periäinen in Foreword, 1990
The copies in stock are in good condition. The dust jackets show some shelf wear, and the edges of the pages some yellowing. Otherwise, the books are in great shape. The endpaper in one of the copies has a signature made by the previous owner.
