GENT, BELGIUM.- The Design Museum in Gent presents “Tapio Wirkkala - Eye, Hand, Thought”, on view through June 9, 2002. Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) is the symbolic figure of Finnish design. He was an artist of exceptional diversity for whom no material was alien and who left no area of design unexplored. His works ranged in size from postage stamps to future cities, from salmon-flies to earthwork monuments. The exhibition presents Tapio Wirkkalas work in all it's diversity: from paintings and sculptures to industrial design, utility products and architectonic totalities. The exhibition is arranged thematically in order to graphically express the artist's idea in different objects and materials from the earliest sketches and models through prototypes and production to the final objects. The sources of Wirkkalas inspiration are also explored, from the wilderness of Lapland and the folk traditions of India and Mexico to the urban lifestyle of the world's metropolises. Tapio Wirkkalas work abroad includes the legendary Venini glass works in Venice, the Rosenthal factory in Germany and the local silversmiths of Mexico.