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Olga "Oili" Mäki (officially Tirkkonen since 1968, born Muru) (10 May  1925 in Salmi, Finland – 25 August 2011 Espoo)  was a Finnish textile artist, whose creative powers spanned from the art of weaving and design to writing and painting. Her internationally best known works are colourful ryijy-rugs, pieces of tapestry and woven transparencies with mythical ranging from Kalevala to religious themes later on, all of which Mäki interpreted into strong, modern designs. During her career of almost 50 years Mäki published 24 books and created textiles for 23 churches as well as altar paintings for 14 churches. Her art was presented in about 100 exhibitions arranged in 40 countries.

Family and earlier life
Oili Mäki was born Olga Muru in Oritselkä village of Salmi (Finland) on Mantsinsaari Island on Lake Ladoga as the youngest daughter of Nikita Vasiljev Muru and Pelagia Kimajeff. The parents made a living for their large family by fishing and farming. When Oili was 14, her family was among the thousands who were evacuated from Karelia during World War II.

In 1948 Olga Muru took her high school diploma in Savonlinna and continued her studies between the years 1948 and 1953 in Helsinki University. She married Eino Wilhelm Mäki in 1949 and studied esthetics, psychology, Latin and art history layering her studies with work in the Helsinki University library, and in 1950 in that of the University of London. A new cycle of studies started in 1953 with courses in economics, secretarial arts and those of commercial correspondence. She went on working in libraries until 1954 which saw the publication of her first book Taide ja työ - Finnish designers of today. and her first study trip into the United  States, were she studied at Harvard University. Upon her return Mäki became a reporter working for publishing companies or as a freelancer. During the 1950s and early 1960s she also worked as a press secretary for the Kone company, as well as held the office of secretary in Kalevalaisten naisten liitto (the League of Carelian Women). She continued creative writing as well and published collections of Karelian stories, poems and a play called "Solmu" (the Knot). In 1961 she won the first prize for a short story.

Career as a visual artist
The early 1960s saw a definite turn for the visual arts, when Oili Mäki studied in Taideteollinen korkeakoulu (the Helsinki University of Art and Design) from 1960 to 1961 and opened a studio in Espoo in 1961. Her debut as a textile artist came in October 1961 with a solo exhibition of textile art at Art Gallery Strindberg in Helsinki. She presented  there ryijy rugs and tapestries designed and woven by herself. Among the principal ones were the ryijy called Alasimet (the Anvils) and  Härkä (the Ox) a transparent tapestry bought for the foyer of the Helsinki Opera House. During the years large tapestries by Mäki have also been hung in many public buildings such as town halls, libraries, including the Bank of Finland and the House of Parliament.

The multitude of pieces presented in exhibitions by Maki and their many-faceted technical elaboration divided the critics deeply during the years. As Oili Maki made all her weaving herself, critics particularly in Finland wondered whether her work was art or craft. The 1961 exhibition at Strindberg's opened a flow of exhibitions for Oili Maki in Finland and elsewhere, including European countries, Japan, India and and a tour of exhibitions in 16 states of the USA whIch was accompanied by lectures at universities given by the artist,  but it was the early 1970s  and the exhibition in Geneva that marked  the turning point for her career as a textile artist. This success resulted in useful contacts in the Finnish embassy of Geneva and with important Finnish investors. Her entry Maailmojen synty  (Creation of the Worlds) and its placement xxxxx raised cheers but also a scandal as Geneve based ambassador Klaus Sahlgren said congratulating  Oili Mäki in 2010.

Parament textiles
A special branch of textile design for Oili Mäki were parament textiles for churches, ones either placed in a church, worn during Church service or used for the communion ceremony. Among these are the bishop's robes for both Lutheran and Greek Orthodox churches in 1979. When pieces of sacral art are often rare, of perhaps even a one-time event for most artists, Oili Mäki became known for them. Either complete parament sets or parts of them by Oili Mäki have been acquired for 23 churches. Among them are the following: Parainen 1963, Kaivoksela (Helsinki) 1967, Vårdö 1970, Siilinjärvi 1974, Munkkivuori (Helsinki) 1980, Espoonlahti (Espoo) 1980, Harjavalta 1983 and the Lucas congregation (Lucas församlingen), a Swdish-speaking congregation in Helsinki, 1990.

Industrial design
Besides work for the gallery walls, Mäki designed textiles for several Finnish commercial weavers and factories between the years 1965 and 1971. Among them were e.g. Tampella, Helenius and Kudostuote, and the Swedish make Kinnasand. In 1966 Mäki explored her powers in clothes design by showing a collection of 100 pieces for the lable Arhippa at Hotel Kalastajatorppa. In 1967 Arhippa went as an independent brand to the Stockholm Clothes Fair. Her entries in Sacramento International Textile Expo in 1966 and 1967 won her six gold medals.

Work bought into collections
Finnish National Opera

Bank of Finland (6 pieces between 1964 and 1978)

Postipankki

City library of Savonlinna

Tuusulan kunnallisopisto

Karjala Talo, Helsinki

Eduskuntatalo, Parliament House, Helsinki

Huhtamäki Oy

Outokumpu Oy

Orion Oy

Hotelli Presidentti

Finnjet

Finnish consulate, Leningrad ( now St Petersburg)

Finnish consulate, Los Angeles

Finnish embassy, Tokyo

Finnish embassy, Bern

Keski-Suomen museo - Museum of central Finland

Wäinö Aaltonen Museum, Turku

Amos Anderson Art Museum, Helsinki

Museum of Congemporary Crafts, New York

Pasadena Art Museum, Los Angeles

William Burges Collection, California

J.Deere Collection, Illinois

Simon & Simon Collections, Philadelphia,

Philipsin Collections, Brussels

United Nations Palace of Peace, Geneva.

Honors and decorations

 * 1966 Three gold medals in the Sacramento International Textile Exhibition (materials designed for Swdish brand Kinnasand)
 * 1967 Three gold medals in the Sacramento International Textile Exposition.
 * 1973 Order of the Lion of Finland Pro Finlandia -medal
 * 1975 Official guest and cultural ambassador to India
 * 1978 appointed professor h.c. by President  Urho Kekkonen
 * invited to join the Academy of Art in Lausanne University.

The Oili Mäki Foundation
Oili Mäki had moved to Espoo in the mid 1950s, and there she also started a weaving studio in 1961. After more than twenty years of active career in visual arts she wanted room to display her art permanently. In 1983 she founded a museum carrying her own name in Laajalahti (Espoo). After her death in 2011, it was the Oili Mäki Foundation (Oili Mäki —säätiö) that owned the artist's home, the weaving studio, the gallery museum and other facilities belonging to the complex. The buildings having fallen into poor condition, the property was put up for sale