Sven Mansikkala

The teacher and graphic designer Sven Mansikkala studied decorative painting at the Central School of Arts and Crafts during the 1930s. After completing his studies, he moved to Vaasa, where he worked for the local branches of the Finnish tourist association, Matkailijayhdistys, in the Swedish-speaking regions of Ostrobothnia. Mansikkala stayed in Vaasa until the Winter War broke out in 1939.

After the war, Sven Mansikkala started working for the advertising agency Oy Mainos Taucher Reklam Ab and later for Posti, the Finnish postal service. He was, nevertheless, tempted by the thought of having his own business and later started an agency of his own. Mansikkala specialized in art fairs and the interior design of exhibition cases.

In time, Sven Mansikkala became interested in Steiner’s teaching theories and in 1959 he started studying the subject in Germany. When he returned to Finland, he started teaching at the Rudolf Steiner School in Helsinki and worked there until he retired.