Yrjö Sotamaa

Yrjö Kalervo Sotamaa (born 25 September 1942 in Helsinki) is a Finnish designer. Sotamaa is Professor Emeritus of Design Innovation in the Aalto University School of Art and Design and President Emeritus of the University of Art and Design Helsinki (Taik). He served as the President of TAIK from 1986 until 2008. He earned his MA in Interior Architecture and Furniture Design from TAIK, where he studied with Kaj Franck and Antti Nurmesniemi.

During his studies (1965-1969) in the Institute of Art and Design (later University of Art and Design and now Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture) Yrjö Sotamaa was President of the Institute's Student Union TOKYO. He was pushing for reforms in design education, founded the Scandinavian Design Students Organization SDO in 1967 and organized by SDO a series of high-profile international seminars and conferences (Industry, Environment, Design in 1968 in Suomenlinna and Working Environment in 1967 in Otaniemi) to discuss the social, ecological, economical, environmental challenges facing the Nordic societies and reforms in design education. In 1967 and 1968 he invited to the seminars leading thinkers in design and architecture of the time including Victor Papanek, Buckminster Fuller, Christopher Alexander and Hans Palmstjerna. He also published their lectures and writings in the famous &/SDO Magazine in 1968. This led to a close friendship with Papanek and Fuller and later active cooperation with them.

In 1969-70 Sotamaa was a Visiting Professor at Purdue University (USA) by the invitation of Professor Victor Papanek and was a close collaborator of Papanek for several years. During his time in Purdue he also collaborated with Buckminster Fuller who's World Resources Inventory Centre was closely located to Purdue in Carbondale, Illinois.

In 1972-73 he studied nomadic cultures and handicrafts in East Africa.

In 1975 Sotamaa entered the service of TAIK as Head of Department of Interior Architecture and Furniture Design and was elected to President of the University in 1986. During his time as President of TAIK the University grew to one of the leading art and design institutions in the world. President Sotamaa had also a visible role in the development of the Art and Design City, the Arabianranta area of Helsinki where the University is situated, under the notion of the Living Lab. The concept was first put forward by MIT Professor William Mitchell, in terms of a research methodology for sensing, prototyping, validating and refining complex solutions in multiple and evolving real life contexts. Art and Design City become an international benchmark for innovation driven future city development.

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