KÄÄPÄ

The Nordiska museet presents a design showcase featuring the craftwork of award-winning Finnish designer Mari Koppanen. She explores amadou, known in Finnish as kääpä, a leather-like natural material derived from a fungus that grows on deciduous trees.

The design exhibition opens at Nordiska museet during Stockholm Design Week 2025, in collaboration with the Finnish Institute. It runs from 6 February to 27 April 2025.

A Tribute to a Forgotten Natural Material

The leather-like natural material amadou is derived from the tinder fungus, Fomes fomentarius, which grows on deciduous trees. In the exhibition Kääpä—the Finnish word for fungus—the fungus comes to life through various material and design experiments.

Mari Koppanen combines a cultural-historical and contemporary perspective on this extraordinary fungus. In the past, fungi were not only harvested but also cultivated in Europe. In the Nordic region, amadou has traditionally been used for fire-starting and in folk medicine.

This material is highly relevant today as it shares many characteristics with animal leather. In her work, Koppanen explores the potential of sustainable natural resources in an innovative way, aiming to share and develop knowledge about the amadou material.

Nordic Craft Tradition and Modern Design

– “The focus is on contemporary craftsmanship. But KÄÄPÄ is also a tribute to and a study of this often forgotten material. I have drawn inspiration from both the old craft traditions and the form language and properties of the tinder fungus,” says Mari Koppanen.

Koppanen highlights the use of amadou within a Nordic craft context. In the North, the tinder fungus primarily grows on birch trees. As such, she often incorporates birch wood and birch bark into her works. She also explores the material’s textures through experimentation with traditional weaving techniques.

About Mari Koppanen
Mari Koppanen is an award-winning Finnish designer and a PhD candidate at the Oslo Academy of Arts.

Through her work with biomaterials, Koppanen aims to explore the potential of sustainable natural resources in an innovative way. She actively considers ethical, environmental, and social issues in her practice.

The KÄÄPÄ exhibition runs from 6 February to 27 April 2025. A collaboration between the Finnish Institute and the Nordiska museet in Stockholm.