Kyllikki Salmenhaara

Education Salmenhaara finished secondary school in 1937, and went on to study ceramics design at the Central School of Industrial Arts (Taideteollisuuskeskuskoulu, now part of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture), graduating in 1943.

In 1946, she travelled to Denmark to continue her studies under Nathalie Krebs. In 1956, she was awarded a scholarship to further her studies at the Alfred University in New York, USA. She held a number of academic positions, teaching ceramic design at her alma mater from 1963 onwards, later heading up the ceramics department, and in 1970 was the first industrial designer to be tenured there as Professor, a position she however had to retire from for health reasons after only three years.

Her book Keramiikka ( 'Ceramics') (Helsinki: Otava, 1974; ) won the Finnish state award for industrial design in 1975.