Kari Asikainen (born October 24, 1939, Parkano, Finland) is a Finnish interior designer and former Professor of Industrial Furniture Design[1] at MUOVA, the Design Centre of Western Finland in Vaasa (1988–1994). He has also taught at University of Art and Design Helsinki (known in Finnish as TAIK) (1973–1988). Asikainen studied at the Institute for Applied Arts (forerunner to TAIK), completing his studies in 1966. His most well-known design is for the Kari Chair (1982), for which he was awarded the SIO (Finnish Association of Interior Architects) 1982 award for best piece of furniture for a public space. In 1984 he won the prestigious State Applied Arts Commission's Award.
Asikainen's work has been exhibited at the exhibitions 'Through life from children to elderly' exhibition (2002), Ozone Living Design Center, Tokyo, Japan; 'La vita per le sedie' exhibition (1999), Bari, Italy; 'Kuusikymppisen kolmikymppinen' (Sixty at thirty) retrospective exhibition, Design Museum, Helsinki; 'Kari 20 years' furniture exhibition (1989), Design Forum, Helsinki; 'Furniture and textiles', joint exhibition (1987) with Katariina Metsovaara. Kluuvi Gallery, Helsinki.