Ulla Procopé

Ulla Procopé-Nyman
Born	Ulrika Eleonora Matilda Procopé 17 November 1921 Helsinki, Finland
Died	21 December 1968 Teneriffe, Spain
Nationality	Finnish
Occupation	ceramic designer

Ulrika (Ulla) Eleonora Matilda Procopé-Nyman (1921–1968) was a Finnish designer of ceramics. Procopé was one of the most noted Finnish ceramic designers of the Golden Age of Finnish Design. Her work has been produced by the Arabia company in Finland.

Ulla Procopé's parents were Lieutenant Colonel Aleksander Fredrik Procopé (1876–1956), the commander of the Finnish White Guard (1919–1928), and his wife, Karin Maria née Spåre (1885–1924).

Procopé graduated from the School of Arts and Crafts (later known as the Aalto School of Arts) in Helsinki in 1948 and entered the Arabia ceramics factory directly after graduating. She continued to work for Arabia until her death in 1966. Procopé specialised in creating practical ceramics designs and decorations for daily use.

Procopé is most noted for her cobalt blue hand-painted Valencia series, which was designed in 1960 and remained in production until 2002. The design was influenced by Southern European ceramics, which Procopé was introduced to since her youth. She lived in Southern France by the Spanish border as a young girl, and after retiring went to live in the Canary Islands until her death. She is also noted for designing many series using stoneware, such as the Arabia Ruska (autumn colours), Anemone, Rosmarin, and Meri (sea) series.

Gallery

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  Trivet Valencia by Ulla Procopé
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  The Arabia company logo and maker's mark on the back of Trivet Valencia
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  Ruska set designed by Procopé for the Arabia company