Anu Penttinen was born in Helsinki, Finland in 1974. Anu has studied glass art since 1996, when she commenced her design studies at the University of Art and Design Helsinki. In 1998 Anu studied glass art at Canberra School of Art, Australian National University, graduating with a BA Honours degree in 2000. She then continued her studies in Helsinki graduating with an MA degree in glass design in 2002. Anu started her business Nounou Design in 2003, concentrating on designing and production work as well as one off series. She uses mainly fusing and blowing techniques in her work, and in 2012 Anu had the opportunity to try the Roll-up which suits her artistic language very well in terms of use of colour and pattern.
Anu worked as a full-time glass glass instructor at Wetterhoff Polytechnique, Hameenlinna, Finland in 2003-2005, and she works as a freelance designer for different design houses in Finland such as Iittala, Marimekko and Aarikka. Early 2015 Anu participated in an Artist in Residence program at Bullseye Glass in Portland, USA, designing products for serial production to be sold in the American market.
Recent exhibitions include a solo shows at The Glass Factory in Boda, Sweden and Gallery Blas&knada in Stockholm, Sweden and group shows in Belgium, USA, Turkey, Sweden, South Korea and Ireland.