Ultima Thule: Rhythm Carved into Plywood

Ultima Thule (1967) is one of the most seminal works of artist Tapio Wirkkala (1915–1985). In the video, you can explore the rhythm and movement of the surface of the nine-meter plywood sculpture up close. Wirkkala designed the classic glassware line of the same name for Iittala in 1968.

The carved forms and rhythmic surface of the plywood evoke the flow of a stream. The Latin phrase “Ultima Thule” means an extremely northern place. Wirkkala’s Ultima Thule was inspired by the landscape and natural forms at the Lemmenjoki River valley. Wirkkala family’s summer home on the shore of Lake Paadarjärvi in Inari was an endless source of creativity for Wirkkala.  

In the early 1950s, Wirkkala began creating artworks from aircraft plywood. Ultima Thule stands as the culmination of these works. In his plywood sculptures, Wirkkala explored form, light, and movement within the constraints of an industrial material. Several sketches of Ultima Thule survive, revealing the artist’s investigation into the rhythm and movement of the surface.  

Cutting the plywood exposed the rhythm of its internal layers which were designed by Wirkkala himself. By joining segments at various angles, he created surfaces where the lines in the plywood met. Planning the sculptures required extreme skill in spatial visualisation.  

The pattern of layers creates an illusion of movement, making the heavy sculpture seem lighter. Standing four metres high and nine metres wide, the relief consists of 23 parts that Wirkkala crafted and finished with an axe, knife and file. He was assisted by cabinetmaker Martti Lindqvist. 

The sculpture was completed for the Finnish pavilion at the 1967 World’s Fair in Montreal and was later exhibited during the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. Today, Wirkkala’s masterpiece, Ultima Thule, is on permanent display at EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art.  

 

↓ Watch the video!

Tapio Wirkkala, Ultima Thule, 1967 
aircraft-grade plywood 
The Finnish State Art Collection / EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art 

Production: EMMA – Espoon modernin taiteen museo 
Videography and postproduction: Paula Virta 
Screenplay: Aura Vilkuna 
Music: Anna Mantere 
Translation: Tomi Snellman 

Sketches © Tapio Wirkkala
Production images © Vili Kirjavainen 
Tapio Wirkkala in Mexico © Maaria Wirkkala 
Tapio Wirkkala Rut Bryk Foundation Collection / EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art  

Special thanks: Tapio Wirkkala Rut Bryk Foundation