Oiva Toikka was born in Viipurin maalaiskunta, the rural municipality surrounding then-Finnish Vyborg, now part of Russia.

Some of his best known works are the Kastehelmi and Flora tableware from the 1960s and the Pioni and Krouvi collections from the 1970s.

[5] Although Toikka originally worked at the Nuutajärvi glassworks in Urjala, his designs are currently produced at the Iittala glass factory in Hämeenlinna.

He worked as a stage and costume designer, generally with Finnish director Lisbeth Landefort [fi], whose autobiography he illustrated.

[8] He has also occasionally contributed textile designs to the Marimekko collections.