Yrjö Kukkapuro studied at the Insitute of Industrial Arts (since 2010 named Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture) in Helsinki under Ilmari Tapiovaara from 1954- 58. In 1957 one of Kukkapuro’s chair prototypes was chosen by Antti Nurmesniemi for the Home of the Future exhibition in Helsinki which became a breakthrough for Kukkapuro.
Two years later he established Studio Kukkapuro in Helsinki and in 1960 he launched the Moderno collection, a series of upholstered chairs that were produced by Finnish manufacturer Lahden Lepokalusto. During the first year of the 1960’s Kukkapuro also participated in the Triennale di Milano and began to work on the Ateljee sofa and armchair series. Three years later Kukkapuro began a collaboration with Haimi (which was succeded in 1980 by Avarte), which came to produce the majority of Kukkapuro’s furniture.
In 1964 the Ateljee series was shown at the Cologne Fair and later at the Museum of Modern Art in New York that also added the sofa to their permanent collection. At the international furniture fair in Cologne 1965, Haimi launched Kukkapuro’s Karuselli lounge chair made of fiberglass and with a leather upholstery. Kukkapuro had worked on the armchair for three years, with the aim to be perfect in regards of the new material, the ergonomics, and the construction.
In the late 1960’s Conran Design Studio acquired the marketing rights to Kukkapuro’s furniture in Great Britain. In 1966 Kukkapuro was awarded the Lunning Prize and two years later he designed the Finnish Section at the Milan Triennale.
In the 1970’s Kukkapuro began shifting his designs from fiber glass to tubular steel and plywood mainly for office chairs with collection such as Fysio, Sirkus and Funtkus that was launched during the 1980’s by Avarte. The armchair series Experiment from 1982 by Avarte was more artistic pieces, combining steel pipes with colorful wood parts and leather upholstery. In Kukkapuro's Experiment armchairs the contemporary postmodern style is combined with the modernistic functions and ergonomics.
From 1974 to -80 Kukkapuro worked as a professor at the University of Industrial Art in Helsinki, where he served as headmaster from 1978 to -80. From 1980 until 1999 Yrjö Kukkapuro worked as a guest lecturer at universities throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. In 1995 he was honored with the Kaj Franck Design Prize. As an interior architect Kukkapuro has worked on the Helsinki subway as well as for the brand Marimekko.
