Kaj Franck (1911–1989) is one of Finland’s most internationally renowned designers, whose beautifully practical objects continue to inspire new generations of designers. Franck graduated in 1932 as an interior architect from the Central School of Industrial Arts in Helsinki.

During the 1930s and 1940s, he worked in various roles in interior design companies and designed printed textiles, among other things, for the Helsinki Dye Works. In 1948, the Arabia ceramics factory appointed Franck as its artistic director. His best-known tableware designs for Arabia include Kilta (1953) and its successor Teema (1981).

In 1951, Franck became the artistic director of the Nuutajärvi glassworks, and from the mid-1950s onwards glass became his primary material. In the 1960s, he worked as a teacher at the Institute of Industrial Arts in Helsinki, significantly influencing an entire generation of designers. After ending his teaching career, Franck focused on art glass and experimental glassmaking techniques at Nuutajärvi.

The Architecture & Design Museum’s extensive Kaj Franck collection consists of more than 7,000 objects, photographs, and drawings.