RICHARD LINDH (born 1929, died 2006 in Helsinki) began his studies at the Free Art School in Helsinki in 1950 and continued at the Institute of Industrial Art from 1951 to 1955. He had his own ceramic studio from 1953 until 1955, but he carried out his life's work at the Arabia factory, serving as head of the Art Department from 1955 to 1959 and as the director of various other departments until 1989.

His design work for Arabia is represented by vases and other art objects, as well as utilitarian ware made of faience, porcelain, chamotte, and stoneware. Lindh was a skilled designer and motorcyclist, which led him to design his own time the first completely Finnish-made moped, the Solifer, in 1958. This made him famous and as a result he was given industrial commissions for such products as faucets, ferrules for building purposes, caravans, and oil-burning stoves. Lindh was awarded a grant in 1954, and his other distictions include first, second, and third prizes in ceramics competition held by Scandinavian design schools in 1957, first prize in a competition staged by the Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, and the Finnish State Design Prize in 1970.

Source: ARABIA Ceramics│Art│Industry by Marianne Aav, Elise Kovanen, Marjut Kumela, Helena Leppänen, Susanna Vakkari, Susann Vihma, Tapio Yli-Viikari - published by Designmuseo, 2009.