Alvar Aalto was born in 1898 in Kuortane, Finland. He graduated from Helsinki University of Technology with a degree in architecture. He began experimenting with laminated wood which he later used in his designs of chairs.
The trademark of his furniture was his use of irregularly bent lines. This was a symbol of the move towards a softer more natural and humanistic function. This style was given a public forum when his "Made in Scandinavia" was shown at the New York World's Fair in 1939.
Other important works were the model 41 armchair, which was made of wood and had a bentwood frame and an S-shaped seat. Also, the model 43 cantilever chaise longue, which had a curvilinear silhouette that he followed up with 406 chaise longue chair which became commercially popular. He also designed the 60 stool with L-shaped legs for the lecture room at Viipuri Library. Finally, he began designing lamps using glass but few went into serial production.