Yrjö Ollila

Ollila's parents emigrated to America after the death of his older brothers,[further explanation needed] and the decorative painter, Alex Rapp [fi], became his guardian.

In 1912, he joined "Septem-ryhmä" (The Septem Group), an association of French-influenced Impressionist artists that advocated the use of pure colors.

In 1927, Ollila and a businessman named Uuno Sinervä founded the "Helsingin taidevärjäämö" (Helsinki Art Dye-Works), a firm devoted to creating designer fabrics.

In addition to his designs, he helped develop new technology for the dyeing process, but left the company in 1929 because he was overwhelmed with work from other commitments.

In addition to his canvases and set design work, he did murals for several buildings, including the elementary school on Tehtaankatu Street (1914) and the Eira branch of the Kansallis-Osake-Pankki (1927).