History

Artistica's history begins in 1943 when Ulf Perander founded a small antique shop in Lnnrotsparken in Helsinki. The following year, Ulf married Eva Takanen who began at the theatre school at the Swedish Theatre. Eva and Ulf Perander very soon became interested in oriental carpets and they began to invest in these in their antique shop.  

Eva Perander's life is a part of the cultural history of Helsinki. She had an impressive career in the theatre in the 1950's and 1960's and worked with major contemporary actors, among them Vivica Bandler, Åke Lindman, Börje and Yngve Lampenius, Kyllikki Forssell, Lasse Pöysti and Birgitta Ulfsson.

Eva left the theatre in the beginning of the 1970's and took up an interest in travelling together with her husband to the best producers of oriental carpets in Iran, India, Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Ulf Perander died in 1978 and Eva took over the entire responsibility for Artistica's operation. She noticed that women manage just as well as men in Islamic countries and she continued with her carpet-voyages to Asia.   

Eva Perander has now made business trips for more than 30 years and has purchased carpets both in Indian and European free ports where she herself can select the best carpets, all of which are one of a kind. Eva Perander has visited over eighty countries.

The capital city's Swedish theatre stages have been replaced by a career as an esteemed purveyor of oriental carpets. The elegant Eva Perander still works more than 200 days per year at Artistica.